L3 1572 
.E2 



THE 
iSON-LAING-READERS 

A 

MANUAL 



FOR-TEACHERS 



BENJ. H.SANBORN & CO. 




J<3ss? 3 



Class __ 
Book.~^<r 



Copyright)! . 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT: 



THE EDSON-LAING READERS 



CONCISE AND SUGGESTIVE 

MANUAL 

FOR TEACHERS 

BY 

ANDREW W>EDSON, A.M. 

ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS 
NEW YORK CITY 



BENJ. H. SANBORN & CO. 

CHICAGO NEW YORK BOSTON 



^ 



<p' 



THE EDSO* 
Book One, 


f-LAING READERS 


Busy Folk 


Book Two, 


Lend a Hand 


BOOK THREE, 


Neighbors 


Book Four, 


Working Together 


Book five, 


Opportunity 



Grateful acknowledgment is made to the principals 
and teachers whose valuable suggestions have helped 
in the preparation of this Manual. 



A. W. E. 



Copyright, 1915, 
By BENJ. H. SANBOKN & CO. 

MAR 30 1915 

©CLA398156 



CONTENTS 

PAET I 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE 

PART II 
GENERAL OUTLINE OF READING 

PAGE 

1. Reading Defined 3 

2. Ends .3 

3. Oral Reading ... 4 

4. Silent Reading 5 

5. Expression 7 

a. Emphasis, Inflection, and Pauses 7 

b. Word-Pictures 8 

c. Dramatization 10 

6. Phonic Exercises .10 

7. General Suggestions 11 

PART III 
STEPS IN LESSON DEVELOPMENT 

1. Explanation of the Story 13 

2. Recitation by the Teacher 13 

3. Recitation by the Pupils 14 

4. Questions to Test Knowledge and Develop Content . 14 

5. Dramatization 14 

6. Drill on Words, Phrases, and Word-Groups ... 16 

7. Story Written on the Blackboard 18 

8. Story Read by the Pupils 18 

9. Test Work 19 

iii 



PART IV 
SUGGESTIVE STEPS FOR LESSONS IX BOOK ONE 

PAGE 

1. The Key to the Kino's Garden 21 

2. Little Acorn Sisters 24 

3. The Little Red Hen : . . 21 

4. My Garden 27 

5. The House that the Boys Built 28 

6. The Three Little Pigs 29 

7. Peter and Nanny .......... 32 

8. Come, Butter, Come ..33 

9. The White Rabbit .. . 33 

PART V 
PHONIC EXERCISES 

1. Purpose 36 

2. Early Exercises 38 

3. Selections I to V 41 

4. Selections VI to IX 48 

5. Consonant Sounds 50 

6. Vowel Sounds 51 

7. Key to Pronunciation 51 

PART VI 
REPRINTS 

1. Book One : 

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . .55 

Suggestions to Teachers 55 

Word List 59 

2. Book Two : 

Foreword 64 

Suggestions to Teachers 64 

Word List . ffi 

3. Book Three : 

Foreword . . 74 

Suggestions to Teachers 74 

Word List 77 

iv 



PART I 

INTRODUCTORY NOTE 

The plan of the Edson-Laing readers is unique in at least three 
particulars. First, these basal readers have a distinct central 
theme, social — industrial — ethical, toward which nearly every 
selection trends. Instead of the usual compilation of miscel- 
laneous selections, stories of high literary value are grouped about 
this leading idea. 

In each book there is repeated reference to some distinctive 
line of wholesome thought, which has the background of a worthy 
motive. The keynote of Book One is Busy Folk ; of Book Two, 
Lend a Hand ; of Book Three, Neighbors ; of Book Four, Working 
Together; and of Book Five, Opportunity. In each book the 
dominant social appeal, emphasizing the value of industry, kind- 
ness, service, and fellowship, is made by representing generous, 
outgoing activity. 

The books introduce children at the very beginning of their 
school work to literature and life. The theme of the selections 
may not at first be recognized by the pupils, but soon the point 
of each story will dawn upon them with impelling force. 

Secondly, these readers in the lower grades give unusual emphasis 
to the cumulative tale. Through it there is a constant reappearing 
of old words and a careful introduction of new words. The 
development moves forward by easy steps. By this plan children 
begin at once with stories of which they never grow weary ; stories 
that are as fresh and interesting the hundredth time they are told 
or read as they were at first. 



These cumulative tales have a rhythmical quality for which 
every child has an innate love; they give him something worth 
memorizing ; and they help him in a most attractive way, with no 
break in the continuity of thought and interest, to a large vocabu- 
lary of simple, choice, basal words. 

The folk tales in Books One and Two present a definite sequence 
and outcome which the mind easily follows. The story by its 
structure meets the child's first need of grasping a connected 
literary whole, and thus from the very start reading is a joyous 
exercise. 

And, in the third place, these readers omit the traditional Primer 
and start directly with reading material of literary and ethical value. 
The time has gone by when good teachers find it necessary to have 
books of loosely connected, made-up sentences, merely to give the 
pupils a reading vocabulary. From the vocabulary of a classic 
tale any live teacher can easily construct sentences that will serve 
the purpose of supplementary drill exercises. 

It is not expected that Book One will be placed in the hands of 
pupils until a considerable list of words and word-groups have been 
taught from the blackboard. 



PART II 

GENERAL OUTLINE OF READING 

1. Reading defined. Of the various definitions of reading, the 
following are among the best : " Reading is thought-getting from a 
printed page." "Reading is thinking not at random but in lines 
prescribed by the written or printed page." " Reading is the 
apprehension of the thought and feeling expressed on a written or 
printed page. Oral reading is the apprehension and expression of 
the thought and feeling found in the words of a printed page." 
In all reading exercises, therefore, the thought element should pre- 
dominate; it should rise superior to word-mastery and to oral 
expression, important as these may be. 

Too much of class reading in the early stages has been and still 
is mere word-naming, phonetic drill exercises, a dreary droning 
over words and disconnected sentences, all of which has " a flavor 
of boiled water." Hamlet's answer to Polonius's question, 
"What do you read, my Lord?" "Words, words, words," might 
well be the answer of many children to-day if asked a similar 
question. 

2. Ends. There are three clearly defined ends to be kept in 
view by the teacher of reading : An early facility in the art of 
reading; the formation of a reading habit; and the cultivation 
of a love of good literature. 

Facility in the art of reading implies an immediate recognition 
of words, an apprehension of their meaning and use, and the ability 
to express the thought easily, clearly, and intelligently. Inability 
to read readily is frequently the cause of backwardness in school 



work. A good reader has a great advantage over a poor reader in 
mastering all the subjects of the school course. 

The formation of a reading habit is of prime importance. Read- 
ing is the key to all past thought and achievement ; it is the means 
to a future education. Teachers cannot begin too early to en- 
courage children to cultivate a reading habit. 

In direct line with this work the teacher should aim to create 
and foster literary taste in the children. As a result they will 
choose books that are worth reading, books that will fill the mind 
with " beautiful thoughts, beautifully expressed." A teacher who 
succeeds in cultivating a love for good literature is building char- 
acter in the most effective way. 

Books that are designed primarily for information, such as geo- 
graphical, historical, and science readers, have their place, indeed 
are indispensable ; but books that contain literary selections, such 
as fairy tales, folk stories, myths, fables, legends, poetry, and 
standard prose, have a universal interest and lasting value. 

3. Oral reading. Oral reading differs from silent reading, 
primarily, in the fact that in oral reading more than one person is 
involved. If this fact is impressed upon a class, the one reading 
will always endeavor to convey thought to others. He will face 
his listeners by turning toward the class. He will speak to the 
class rather than away from it. He will read with more under- 
standing because of his effort to make others understand, and good 
expression will follow. 

Oral reading tests silent reading, trains the voice, and has a 
reflex action upon the thought expressed. It may be sight reading 
or prepared reading. 

Sight reading in the lower grades should be on selections that 
have easy and familiar words. Except with such words, it has 
small value, as the effort of the person reading is likely to be 
centered on the correct pronunciation of words rather than on the 
apprehension and expression of thought. 






In prepared reading in the lower grades, the preparation should 
include a brief reproduction of the story; the meaning of the 
unusual words, indicated by the correct use of these words in 
original sentences ; and a copy of some paragraph in the lesson. 

In the higher grades the preparation may include an oral repro- 
duction of the story; an explanation of the leading words or 
passages in the paragraph or on the page ; the spelling, derivation, 
and meaning of some of the more difficult words ; a study of the 
leading geographical, historical, scientific, or literary references : 
and attention to good expression. 

The characteristics of good oral reading are clear and distinct 
enunciation, naturalness of expression, ease and fluency. The 
test of oral reading is the readiness with which the listeners hear, 
understand, and feel the sentiments expressed. 

4. Silent reading. Inasmuch as most of one's reading (study) 
in school and practically all of it out of school is silent reading, 
the great importance of this form of reading is clearly evident. 
Time and effort should, therefore, be given to silent reading. If 
one-half of the time devoted to teaching reading is given to acquir- 
ing skill in silent reading, greater interest, greater facility, and 
greater power will result. 

To give emphasis to silent reading, or to a combination of silent 
and oral reading, the following devices are suggested : 

a. Silent reading and doing. The teacher writes sentences 
upon the board as, 

Knock on the door. 

Sit in my chair. 

Give me the broom. 

Put the doll on the floor. 

Put the china on the table with care. 
The pupils then do what is indicated, without giving oral expres- 
sion to the thought. The exercise is wholly silent. Toys and 
other material needed should be provided in advance. 

5 



b. Answers to written questions. The teacher writes questions 
upon the board as, 

What did the cat do? 

What did the rat do ? 

What did the hen say? 

What kind of house did little pig One build ? 
The pupils then give appropriate answers, showing that they 
read the questions correctly. The answers to such questions 
should be in complete sentences. 

c. Oral responses to written directions. The teacher writes 
upon the board a few such directions as, 

Tell me what Golden Hair saw in the bear's house. 
Knock at the door and say what the wolf said to the little pigs. 
State what made the huge Jolly Goat jump from the window. 
The pupils then give correct responses. 

d. Statements of fact. The teacher writes upon the board a 
few such sentences as, 

The white rabbit is in the window. 

The seeds are on the table. 

The nails are in the chair. 

I hold a string in my hand. 
The pupils, before reading the sentence aloud, make the state- 
ment true, in some instances, as in the first sentence, by means of 
toys. 

e. Completion of a sentence. The teacher writes a portion of a 
sentence upon the board, making a dash for each omitted word as, 

It was the key . 

The girl works with care. 

This is the cock that . 

The little red hen asked . 

The three little chicks ran to see . 

The pupils then supply the missing words. 



/. Silent reading and oral reproduction. The teacher writes a 
short story upon the board, or allows the pupils to read silently 
some story found in their books, and then calls upon several for 
a reproduction. Occasionally, the teacher should aid the pupils 
by questions. 

g. Study of paragraphs. After the pupils have read a paragraph 
silently, the teacher questions the class as to the leading thought- 
words found there. In these questions the teacher may well make 
frequent use of the words who, what, how, why, and when, the pupils 
responding by giving a word or phrase that is the keynote to the 
paragraph. Later, the pupils may reproduce the paragraph by a 
sentence or by several sentences. This device may be used with 
great profit in the higher grades. 

5. Expression. There are three ways by which natural and 
pleasant expression may be secured : By the use of (a) emphasis, 
inflection, and pauses, (6) word-pictures, and (c) dramatization. 
Mere imitation of the teacher is likely to be devoid of thought, 
and to leave no lasting impression. 

a. Emphasis, inflection, and pauses. The teacher writes a few 
sentences on the board as, 

I fed the red hen. 
The little girl made wheat bread. 
My little gray pony has lost a shoe. 
Did Peter give the cat some milk? 
Did Golden Hair sit in the great chair? 

and asks the pupils to read the sentences in such a way as to 
bring out a particular meaning. For instance, after having written 
the first sentence upon the board, the teacher says, "Read 
the sentence so as to indicate who fed the red hen." The 
pupils will naturally emphasize the first word as they read the 
sentence. And, again, if the teacher says, "Read the sentence 
so as to indicate what I did to the hen," "what I fed," "which hen 



I fed," the pupils will invariably give proper emphasis to indicate 
a particular meaning. In the second sentence, five distinct mean- 
ings may be brought out, and in the third sentence, six meanings, 
by emphasis on particular words. 

Another course is for the teacher, after the sentence has been 
read, to challenge the pupil's interpretation by asking some such 
questions as, "Did you say I fed the white hen?" "Did the little 
girl buy wheat bread ? " " Has my little gray pony lost his halter ? " 
The answer in each instance will be the reading of the sentence 
with emphasis upon the right word. 

In the fourth and fifth sentences variety of expression may be 
brought out, and special attention be directed to the value of proper 
emphasis, by having one pupil give appropriate answers to the 
reading by another pupil, the answer in each instance to begin 
with "No." For instance, if one pupil gives emphasis to the 
second word of the fourth sentence, Peter, the other pupil may 
reply, "No, Henry gave the cat some milk." Again, "Did Peter 
give the cat some milk?" "No, Peter gave the dog some milk." 
"Did Peter give the cat some milk?" "No, Peter gave the cat 
some water." 

And in the last sentence, the answers to the questions may be, 
" No, the little bear sat in the great chair," "No, Golden Hair stood 
in the great chair," "No, Golden Hair sat on the great bed." 

Similar exercises will lead the pupils to intelligent thought and 
natural expression in their reading, and will train their judgment 
to choose a sensible interpretation of the printed page. 

b. Word-pictures. In order to secure good expression, it is well 
at times to lead pupils to state in advance the picture in their 
mind's eye. For instance, if the pupils are asked to study the 
story of The Little Red Hen, and to state what they see in it, they 
will say, with varying modifications, after a little practice in the 
study of word-pictures, "I see a little red hen in the garden with 
her three chicks. I see a rat, a cat, a pig, and some wheat near by. 



I see the hen talking with the rat, the cat, and the pig. I see the 
hen planting the wheat, cutting it, threshing it, grinding it, and 
making the flour into bread. And I see the three little chicks eat- 
ing the bread." 

Again, after a study of the Three Bears, they may say, "I see 
three bears, a father bear, a mother bear, and a baby bear. I see 
a little girl named Golden Hair entering their home while they are 
away. I see Golden Hair tasting the soup that the bears had 
made. I see her sitting in the bears' chairs and breaking down the 
baby bear's chair. I see her lie down on each bed and go to sleep 
on the baby bear's bed. I see the three bears returning home. 
I see them trying to find the one who had eaten their soup and had 
broken a chair. I see Golden Hair wake up, jump from the 
window, and run home." 

And, again, after a study of Apple-Seed John (Book Four), 
they may say, "I see a young man studying how he may be of 
service to the early settlers beyond the Alleghenies. I hear the pro- 
tests of his friends to his decision to plant apple orchards down the 
Ohio valley. I hear his answer, ' You do not need me, but future 
generations do.' I see him loading his canoe with apple seeds 
and drifting down the Ohio River. I see him planting seeds, and 
weaving brush to protect the seedlings from the wild deer. I see 
him mingling with the Indians, and I hear his reply to those who 
ask him what he is doing, 'Planting seeds for future men.' I see 
him caring for his young orchards. I see him teaching children 
during the winter months. I hear his answer to the request of the 
settlers to remain with them, ' I must go on. I hear the tramp of 
coming millions; I must plant seeds for future men.' I see John 
Chapman, an old man, loved and respected by thousands." 

Any pupil who will give a good word-picture of a selection which 
he has studied, will surely read the story or stanza with good 
expression. All that the teacher will need to do in order to get 
good expression will be to remind the pupil of the picture in his 
mind's eye. 

9 



c. Dramatization. There is no line of school activity that gives 
children more genuine pleasure than the personation of characters 
in a reading lesson. Young people are natural actors. In their 
free play and organized games they delight in representing char- 
acters, animate and inanimate. 

In dramatizing a story from the reader it will be necessary at 
first for the teacher to select the actors with care, and to direct the 
work. After a little practice, volunteers will be ready to carry 
on the lesson and to act the parts, and they will do it with anima- 
tion and enthusiasm. As they become familiar with the story, as 
they understand and feel the sentiments expressed in the several 
passages, there will be a generous rivalry among the members of 
the class to represent the persons, animals, or things supposed to 
be speaking. 

The dramatization should be very simple and according to the 
conception of the pupils. As they read or recite and act the parts, 
their fancy will supply all lack of setting or costume. Time is 
often lost and attention detracted from thought-expression by 
over-attention to dress. To lead pupils to be "lost in the story" 
and to see things without the aid of stage properties is the work of 
an artist-teacher. The class will often suggest appropriate actions. 
The stories may be read as simple dialogues or the pupils may act 
the parts as seems advisable at the time. 

6. Phonic exercises. Drill on phonetics has a distinct and in- 
valuable place in the mastery of words, but the time and place for 
these drill exercises should be apart from the reading lesson. 
Phonetics aims at developing mechanical power, but it is not 
reading. Nothing should be allowed to divert the attention of 
pupils from giving the best possible expression to the thought of 
the selection read. Any system of reading that attaches undue 
importance to phonetics and makes the reading exercises center on 
the mastery of words, loses sight of the great end of reading. 

Too often the work in phonetics has been made a stumbling 

10 



block to thought, either by having the exercises begin too early 
or by over-emphasis. Such a course is likely to lead pupils to take 
little interest in the reading exercise, if not a positive dislike to it. 
They lose the spirit of story reading and story telling ; they feed 
on dry husks. 

7. General suggestions. 

a. The teacher should 

teach reading to small groups of pupils ; 

use the blackboard freely, the more the better, 
and in script ; 

drill daily on lists of words, phrases, and word- 
groups ; 

indicate in advance of the reading the point of 
the paragraph either by a question or state- 
ment ; 

commend freely those who do well ; 

insist upon much silent reading in the class ; 

read a short selection to the class daily for the 
purpose of developing an interest in reading, 
setting a standard, and cultivating taste ; 

keep a list of the library books read by the mem- 
bers of her class. 

b. The teacher should not 

point at words or allow the pupil to point at in- 
dividual words while reading ; 

depend on a second effort for good expression, as 
good expression should come at the first at- 
tempt ; 

allow interruptions while reading even if the 
pupil makes a mistake, as the correction should 
follow, not interrupt the reading ; 

allow concert work if good individual expres- 
sion is desired; 

11 



read a sentence or passage for imitation, as the 
pupil's natural expression, not the teacher's, is 
what should be sought. 

It is well, however, for the teacher to present a model of good 
expression by alternating with the pupils in the reading of para- 
graphs, by taking one of the parts in a dialogue, and by reading 
other selections to the class. 

c. The pupil should 

apprehend the thought and feeling to be expressed 
before attempting oral reading ; 

read to the class, facing the listeners ; 

reproduce readily every lesson read ; 

read occasionally a full selection to the class, pos- 
sibly a short story that is new to the class ; 

read aloud at home each day the lesson that was 
read in school. 



12 



PART III 

STEPS IN LESSON DEVELOPMENT 

The following is a suggestive plan for the development and 
conduct of a reading lesson in the lower grades : 

1. Explanation of the story. 

2. Recitation by the teacher. 

3. Recitation by the pupils. 

4. Questions to test knowledge and develop content. 

5. Dramatization. 

6. Drill on words, phrases, and word-groups. 

7. Story written on the blackboard. 
S. Story read by the pupils. 

1. Explanation of the story. As the first step in teaching a read- 
ing lesson, the teacher should make a brief statement of the ground- 
work of the selection, should call attention to the characters to be 
introduced and to the interesting features to be noticed. She 
should challenge the interest of the class by calling attention to the 
illustrations in the book, by showing objects and pictures bearing 
upon the leading features of the story, and by explaining briefly 
in advance certain points that need explanation. 

2. Recitation by the teacher. Children never weary of hearing 
the teacher repeat a story, a jingle, or a simple poem. The teacher 
should recite or read a portion of the tale over and over again in a 
natural and animated manner so as to chain the interest of the 
pupils to the thought underlying the words. She should imper- 
sonate the characters, and by her tone and facial expression give 
life and animation to the lines she recites. 

13 



3. Recitation by the pupils. By hearing the teacher recite the 
story, the pupils will soon become familiar with the lines and will 
be able to repeat them. In order to encourage the timid and 
backward pupils, it may be best at times to allow them to repeat 
the sentences together. As a rule, however, it is better to insist 
upon individual reading and recitation in order to cultivate inde- 
pendence of effort and naturalness of expression. 

4. Questions by the teacher. Before the use of the blackboard or 
book, the teacher should question the pupils on what they have 
recited in order to test their knowledge of the incidents of the story 
and to find out what to add by way of explanation. An appeal 
to their past experience in line with the thought of the selection 
will throw light upon the subject under consideration. And the 
illustrations in the book, the objects and animals represented, will 
furnish an excellent basis for "I see" and "I think" stories. 

After drawing from the pupils their knowledge of the objects, 
qualities, and actions mentioned, the teacher may add information 
that will lend interest to the story. The responses of pupils should 
usually be in complete sentences. The insistence on complete 
sentences, however, should not be carried to the point where it 
destroys the child's spontaneity and naturalness of expression. 

5. Dramatization. In most readers there are selections that 
lend themselves readily to dramatization. This work should not 
be begun too early, and when first taken up it should be of a very 
simple nature. It is well not to crowd too many novelties into the 
first few steps toward reading. 

In many selections the dramatization should be only partial, 
the different members of the class reciting the story as a dialogue 
with no attempt whatever at acting the parts. 

After the class has made a good beginning in reading, it is better 
to have the dramatization accompany or follow the reading of the 
story, and be more complete than in the early attempts. A teacher 
must use her discretion in the matter, varying her work according 

14 



to the material she has to work with and the comparative results 
obtained. No hard and fast rule can be given for the use of this 
device for teaching expression. 

A teacher who has a gift for acting can often get wonderful 
results by using dramatization freely. 

Most of the selections in Books One and Two of the Edson- 
Laing series can be dramatized easily. In Book One the stories 
that provide a fruitful field for work in this line are : 

The Little Red Hen 

The Three Little Pigs 

Peter and Nanny 

The White Rabbit 

The Ant and the Snow 

Cri-Cri 

Wee Robin's Christmas Song 

Little Girl, Little Girl 

The Monkey and the Nut Tree 

The Little Gray Pony 

The Man and the Camel 

The Three Bears 

In Book Two, the following selections may be dramatized : 
The Hen that Went to Doverfield 
Goody Two Shoes 
Little Birdie 

The Lion and the Mouse 
The Wee Pancake 
London Bridge 
The Woodpecker 
The Pine Tree's Wish 
Two Robin Redbreasts 
Peachling 

Nezuma the Beautiful 
The Prettiest Children 

15 



The Stingy Farmer 

Aiken Drum 

The Brownie of Fern-Den 

How to Build a Nest 

Dumpy the Pony 

Perifool 

The Ugly Duckling 

The Gift of Fire 

6. Drill on words, phrases, and word-groups. In the work so far, 
the teacher has explained and recited or read the story and has de- 
veloped content ; and the pupils have recited the story and possibly 
have dramatized it. There has been a constant appeal to the ear 
and voice. The pupils are now ready to gain thought through 
the eye. The teacher should write upon the board a few words, 
phrases, and word-groups with which the pupils have become famil- 
iar, and should drill upon these until they are readily recognized. 

As the work proceeds, lists may be made of the words and 
word-groups that have been mastered. All new words of impor- 
tance should be introduced in such a way that their meaning may 
be shown by the context. 

It will not be necessary at first to define every word used or to 
indicate its use in a sentence, as complete word-mastery is a matter 
of slow growth. The main point is to be sure that the pupils 
understand the thought of the story. 

When it does not seem to be advisable to have the selections 
memorized and recited in advance, the drill on words and phrases 
may immediately precede the reading lesson. 

As an aid in teaching words and in fixing their forms, the teacher 
may give orally a portion of a familiar sentence and then write 
upon the board several times the particular word or phrase needed 
to complete the thought. The pupils, knowing the words in 
advance and watching the teacher as she writes them, will soon 
have the forms impressed upon their minds. 

16 



In connection with drill exercises, it is well for the teacher to 
prepare perception cards on heavy oak-tag paper. These cards 
should have all of the unusual and difficult words and phrases. 
One purpose in the use of these cards is to prevent undue emphasis 
on prepositions in phrasing. If the words are written in a large 
and plain hand, or printed, the pupils can easily read them. Only 
a glance should be allowed in order that the pupils may gain the 
power to recognize instantly the words and phrases presented. 
As a device for profitable Busy-work and for fixing word-forms, the 
following is suggested : 

The words of the lesson, singly or in phrases, are written or 
printed on heavy paper. As the words are mastered, they are 
cut from the cards and given to the pupils to be kept in boxes or 
envelopes. The accumulating of these words and phrases will be 
a delight to the pupils who will read them over, make sentences of 
them, and very profitably occupy much time with this word-game. 

Often, while reading silently from the board or book, a pupil 
will follow with a pointer or finger the written or printed words in 
order to locate a particular word. This practice is an indication 
that he is doing some thinking and that he will soon be able to 
recognize the words at sight. The following of individual words 
with the pointer or finger should not be done while the pupil is 
reading aloud, but merely in silent reading or in word drill. The 
pointer, however, may sometimes be used while reading to indicate 
by a sweep the sentence or phrase that is being read. If emphasis 
is given to drill exercises on lists of phrases and word-groups, 
ready recognition, intelligent apprehension, and good expression 
will follow. 

The teacher is advised to use script rather than print. She can 
write much faster than she can print. The removal of the crayon 
from the board after each letter in printing delays action. Writing 
is therefore a great time-saver. By writing, the teacher is likely 
to use the board more freely and to construct many more words 
and sentences than by printing. 

17 



Again, pupils learn to write by seeing the teacher write. In 
this way they become familiar with script. There is no necessity 
for a pupil to learn to print; it is important that he learns to 
write. 

The argument that a pupil will read from the printed page more 
readily if he first reads print from the board, is disproved by the 
fact that any child that can read script readily and intelligently 
from the board can read readily from the printed page. The tran- 
sition from script on the board to print in the book is fully as easy 
and natural as from the teacher's reproduction of printed forms 
on the board to the printed forms in the book. 

7. The story written on the board. Now that the pupils are 
familiar with the story which they have repeated and possibly 
dramatized, and can recognize the written forms of the leading 
words and phrases, the teacher should write the story in complete 
form upon the board. 

The introduction to most of the stories in the early books should 
be made by writing a few of the sentences or paragraphs upon the 
board. In fact the teacher is wise who makes frequent use of 
the board in all reading lessons in the first year. 

8. The story read by the pupils. If all the preceding steps have 
been carefully taken, the pupils are now ready to read with good 
expression. From the very start, thought and good expression 
should be the guiding principle — good expression as an indication 
that the pupils apprehend the thought and feeling underlying the 
written or printed paragraph. Even correctness in the use of 
letters, phonetics, and words is secondary to good expression at 
this stage of the work. 

After the class has read a few selections, possibly at the close 
of the first month, books should be placed in the hands of the 
pupils. Some teachers may choose to place books in the hands of 
pupils after the first selection has been read from the board. If 
books are given to the class early in the term they should be used 

18 



only after most of the words and word-groups of the lesson have 
been learned from the board. 

In order that the pupils may be made to feel that the thought 
of one sentence is closed connected with the thought of another, 
each pupil when called upon to read aloud should read more than 
one sentence. 

9. Test work. From time to time as the term advances, in 
order to test the amount of reading power her class has gained, 
it is well for the teacher to lay aside the readers for a day or two 
and make sentences and stories of her own out of the words that 
have been learned. 

a. As a test of sight reading the teacher may write upon the 
board or on slips of paper, short sentences which answer questions 
she is to ask. A few sample sentences are: 

The tree grew in the woods. 

The farmer cut the tree that grew in the woods. 

The boards were made of the log. 

The boards were nailed in the house that the boys built. 
The pupils will read eagerly these sentences in answer to the ques- 
tions, " Where did the tree grow?" "What did the farmer do?" 
"What were the boards made out of?" "What was done with 
the boards?" 

b. Or the teacher may write upon the board or on slips of paper: 

The hen said, "Come and see this wheat." 

The rat ran to eat the bread. 

The pig said, "I will not bake the bread." 

The red hen asked, "Who will plant the wheat?" 

The three little chicks ran. 

The three little chicks had the bread. 
She may then call on individuals to read the sentence that states 
what the hen said ; what the rat did ; what the pig said ; what 
the red hen asked ; what the three little chicks did ; and who had 
the bread. 

19 



c. Again, sentences and paragraphs may be mimeographed on 
heavy paper, in print or script, and be used as school reviews and 
also as home reading by the pupils. The teacher can easily 
multiply the few examples given below : 

One day a little cat was caught in the King's Garden. 
The King's sister saw her and asked her who she was. "I 
am the cat that ate the rat that gnawed the bread on your 
table," said the small cat. "My name is Kitty. Now let 
me go." And the King's sister let the cat go. 

Clare had soft red hair that was braided with care by her 
mother. Clare had a sister whose name was Nan. They 
washed the china with great care and placed it on the table. 
They fed corn bread to the little chicks, and they gave some 
of it to little pig One, and little pig Two, and little pig Three. 

Three boys built a stone house for a goat named Peter. 
One day a wolf came and said, "Let me in and I will buy 
china and flowers for your table." "Not by the hair of your 
chinny-chin-chin," said Peter. 

When these slips are given to the pupils, a few minutes should 
be allowed for study in order that some coherent thought may 
emerge from the combination of words, and that the oral reading 
may be fluent. 

At times it is well for teacher and pupils, without book in hand, 
to listen to reading by a member of the class. If the exercise 
gives pleasure to the listeners, it is safe to assume that the reader 
is doing creditable work. 

By the method above outlined the class will make remarkable 
progress. It will read with the greatest delight story after story, 
will rapidly gain an extended vocabulary, and will make an early 
start in all school work. 

Frequent reference should be made to the suggestions found in 
Part II. 

20 



PART IV 
SUGGESTIVE STEPS FOR LESSONS IN BOOK ONE 

Selection I, pp. 5-14 

THE KEY TO THE KING'S GARDEN 

1. Explanation by the teacher. The teacher may introduce this 
story by showing the pupils a key, pictures of beautiful gardens, 
and the illustrations in the book. The explanations by the teacher 
as to the use of a key, a garden, and the objects named should 
be brief. 

2. Recitation by the teacher. The few lines and words found on 
pp. 5-7 will be enough for two or three lessons. The teacher 
should recite the lines of the lesson in a lively and attractive 
manner without the book in her hand so that the pupils may have 
a model of good expression and well-modulated tones. 

3. Recitation by the pupils. This simple cumulative tale will 
be easily memorized in whole or in part by the pupils. Their 
repetition of the lines should be given individually and with 
natural expression. 

4. Questions by the teacher. In order to test knowledge and to 
develop content the teacher should question the pupils about the 
purposes of a key, a wall, a door, and a string. Their remem- 
brance of seeing their pet dog chase a cat, their knowledge that 
a cat catches a rat or mouse, and that a cow feeds on grass or 
hay, will help in recalling the story; and their experience in 
buying and selling, slight as it may have been, will help to make 
the story realistic. 

21 



5. Dramatization. The first selection does not lend itself 
readily to dramatization. 

6. Drill on words, phrases, and word-groups. When the pupils 
are familiar with the tale and can repeat line after line, they should 
be taught to recognize by sight the familiar words, phrases, and 
word-groups. The progress at first must be slow, as thoroughness 
is all-important. 

Some of the easy words and word-groups in the first selection 
are: 



key 


cat 


the key 


I sell 


I 


dog 


the rat 


I held 


sell 


cow 


the cat 


I fed 


string 


fed 


the dog 


I buy 


held 
rat 


buy 


the cow 
the string 





From these words and word-groups many short sentences 
should be written upon the board until the forms of the words 
are fixed in the mind. Free oral expression should be encouraged 
at every step of a reading or word-drill exercise. 
The first selection has twenty-four different words : 
the that cow 

key held tossed 

to rat grass 

King's gnawed fed 

garden cat ground 

I caught grew 

sell dog will 

string chased buy 

To master all of these words, so that they may be recognized 
at sight, may require two or three weeks, and even then frequent 
reviews will be necessary. The words gnawed, caught, chased, 
and tossed should be introduced in such connection as to give them 
meaning and make it easy through the context for the pupils to 

22 



visualize the action. Short conversational exercises will develop 
the words easily as the pupils are familiar with these seemingly 
difficult words long before coming to school. They know them 
by sound and can easily learn them by sight. 

Drill must be concentrated on to, that, and will, since there is 
little association of ideas to depend upon for the recognition of 
these words. The articles — a, an, and the — should be taught 
with nouns as, a cat, an ox, the key, in order that the pupils may 
see the close connection of the words and may make no pause 
between them. They should never be allowed to point at the 
words separately while reading. 

The phrases and word-groups on which special drill will be re- 
quired are: 

to the King's garden sell the ke}^ 

gnawed the string sell the string 

held the key sell the rat 

caught the rat sell the cat 

chased the cat sell the dog 

tossed the dog sell the cow 

fed the cow sell the grass 

grew the grass sell the ground 

buy the ground 

7. Story written on board. In a free and legible hand the teacher 
should now write on the board the story exactly as found in the 
book, the pupils being gathered in groups near the board that 
they may see without effort what is written. 

8. Story read by the pupils. If the pupils know the tale, can 
repeat a large portion of it, can recognize the phrases, word-groups, 
and new words as written on the board, the story will be read by 
the individuals of the class with natural expression and without 
hesitation. 

The teacher should make frequent reference to the suggestions found 
in Parts II and III. 



23 



Selection II, pp. 15 and 16 

LITTLE ACORN SISTERS 

This fanciful Italian song will be easily and quickly learned. 
No explanation will be necessary except that acorns grow on oak 
trees, and that the caps on the girls' heads in the picture represent 
the woody cups of the acorns. 

The eight new words for drill purposes are : 
little Two 

acorn Three 

sister girls 

One No 

See suggestions in Part III, and under Selection I in Part IV. 
Selection III, pp. 17-23 

THE LITTLE RED HEN 

1. Explanation of the story. This delightful story will need 
little explanation by the teacher. The pupils are familiar with 
all of the objects mentioned as, garden, hen, chicks, rat, cat, pig, 
wheat, and bread, and interesting incidents in reference to these 
may be related by the teacher. 

2. Recitation by the teacher. The teacher will have a fine 
opportunity of creating an interest in this story by reciting the 
lines to the children in an animated and lively manner. The 
sequence of action and the frequent repetition of such expressions 
as, "the rat said," "the cat said," "I will not," "I will then," 
will lend interest to the story and fix the words used. 

3 and 4. See suggestions under Selection I. 

5. Dramatization. The teacher may choose pupils to represent 
the hen, the rat, the cat, and the pig. At first the teacher should 
read the story to the words uttered by the hen, the rat, the cat, and 
the pig, and then wait for a response by the little actors. Later, 

24 



certain selected pupils will read the descriptive parts. The chil- 
dren should be encouraged to give a very simple, spontaneous 
expression of their interpretation of the story. The hen should 
scratch the ground, drop seeds from her bill when planting, cut 
the wheat, thresh it, and grind it with her feet. The movements 
and the voice of the rat, the cat, and the pig may be imitated. 



First Pupil. 


The little red hen ran to the garden. 




One little chick ran to the garden. 




Two little chicks ran to the garden. 




Three little chicks ran to the garden 


Second Pupil. 


A rat was in the garden. 




A cat was in the garden. 




A pig was in the garden. 


Third Pupil. 


Some wheat was in the garden. 




The little hen found the wheat. 


Hen. 


" Wheat ! wheat ! see the wheat !" 


Fourth Pupil. 


One little chick ran to see it. 




Two little chicks ran to see it. 




Three little chicks ran to see it. 


Hen. 


"Who will plant this wheat?" 


Rat. 


"I will not." 


Cat. 


"I will not." 


Pig. 


"I will not," 


Hen. 


" I will then." 


Fifth Pupil. 


The wheat grew up. 


Hen. 


"Who will cut this wheat?" 


Rat. 


"I will not," 


Cat. 


"I will not," 


Pig. 


"I will not," 


Hen. 


"I will then. 




Who will thresh the wheat?" 


Rat. 


"I will not thresh it." 


Cat. 


"I will not thresh it." 



25 



Pig. 


"I will not thresh it." 


Hen. 


"I will then. 




Who will grind this wheat ?" 


Rat. 


"I will not grind it." 


Cat. 


"I will not grind it." 


Pig- 


"I will not grind it." 


Hen. 


"I will then. 




Who will make the bread?" 


Rat. 


"I will not make bread." 


Cat. 


"I will not make bread." 


Pig. 


"I will not make bread." 


Hen. 


"I will then. 




Bread, little chicks!" 


Sixth Pupil. 


The rat ran to eat the bread. 




The cat ran to eat the bread. 




The pig ran to eat the bread. 




The three little chicks ran. 


Seventh Pupil 


. But the three little chicks had the bread, 



6. Drill on words, phrases, and word-groups. There are twenty- 
eight new words in this selection, but owing to the natural se- 
quence of activities and the frequent repetition of familiar words 
and expressions, the mastery of these words will be easy. The 
new words are : 



red 


said 


up 


hen 


see 


cut 


ran 


it 


thresh 


chicks 


asked 


grind 


A 


who 


make 


pig 


plant 


bread 


was 


this 


eat 


some 


not 


but 


wheat 


then 


had 


found 







26 



The leading phrases and word-groups are : 

the little red hen see this wheat 

ran to the garden ran to see it 

One little chick plant this wheat 

Two little chicks the rat said 

Three little chicks the cat said 

in the garden the pig said 

some wheat I will not 

found the wheat I will then 

grew up make the bread 

cut this wheat the rat ran 

thresh this wheat the cat ran 

grind this wheat the pig ran 

not grind it to eat the bread 

said to the chicks had the bread 

In order to lend interest to the exercise and to fix the forms of 
words, the teacher may recite the selection and, when she comes 
to the familiar expressions, "I will not," or "I will then," may 
write the words upon the board as she repeats them. After the 
first use of these expressions, the pupils' will readily recognize 
and repeat them as the teacher, while reading, points to the word- 
groups. Soon members of the class may read the introductory 
part while others repeat the answers given. 

7 and 8. See suggestions under Selection I, Part IV ; also see 
suggestions in Parts II and III. 

Selection IV, p. 24 

MY GARDEN 

This little stanza has but five new words — my, seeds, small, 
flowers, and tall — all of which are familiar to the pupils. The 
effort to memorize these few lines, to master the written form of 
the words and word-groups, will take but little time. 

See suggestions in Part III. 

27 



Selection V, pp. 25-34 

THE HOUSE THAT THE BOYS BUILT 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5. See suggestions under Selections I and III. 

6. Drill on words, phrases, and word-groups. 

This selection has forty-six new words, all or nearly all of which 
are familiar to the pupils. They are as follows : 



is tree 


wakes 


washed 


foot 


house word 


laddie 


with 


of 


boys farmer 


corn 


care 


stair 


built strong 


feeds 


put 


where 


board good 


table 


braided 


works 


was and 


white 


hair 


doll 


nailed cock 


square 


great 


we 


log crows 


stands 


room 


call 


made morn 


china 


at 


Clare 
take 


Some of the leading phrases and word-groups upon 


which drill 


ercises should be given are : 






the boys built 




white and square 




nailed in the house 




washed with care 




made the log 




put on the table 




made the board 




stands in the house 


grew in the wood 




with braided hair 




strong and good 




washes the china 




cut the tree 




with great care 




crows in the morn 




foot of the stair 




wakes the farmer 




works the girl 




planting corn 




we call Clare 




feeds the cock 




take to the room 





7 and 8. See suggestions under Selection I, Part IV, and sugges- 
tions in Parts II and III. 



28 



Selection VI, pp. 35-44 

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS 

1, 2, 3, 4. See suggestions under Selection I, Part IV, and sug- 
in Parts II and III. 



5. Dramatization. Certain pupils should read or recite the 
descriptive parts. Other pupils should be assigned to take the 
parts of Mother Pig, Little Pig One, Little Pig Two, Little Pig Three, 
and Wolf. 



First Pupil. 
Second Pupil. 



Mother Pig. 
Third Pupil. 
Little Pig One. 
Little Pig Two. 
Little Pig Three. 
Little Pig One. 
Little Pig Two. 
Little Pig Three. 
Fourth Pupil. 

Little Pig One. 

Fifth Pupil. 



Sixth Pupil. 
Wolf. 



Once there was a mother pig. 

The mother pig had three little pigs. 

There was little pig One. 

There was little pig Two. 

There was little pig Three. 

"Go, find some work, little pigs." 

The little pigs went to find work. 

I shall build me a house." 

I shall build me a house." 

I shall build me a house." 

I shall build a soft house." 

I shall build a tall house." 

I shall build a strong house." 
One day little pig One found some straw. 
The straw was soft. 
"This straw will make my house soft. I will 

build a straw house." 
Then little pig One built a house of the soft 

straw. 
One day a wolf came to the straw house. 
The wolf knocked at the door. 
A little pig ran to the door. 
"Little pig, little pig, 
Let me come in." 



29 



Little Pig One. 

Wolf. 

Seventh Pupil. 

Eighth Pupil. 
Little Pig Two. 

Ninth Pupil. 

Wolf. 

Little Pig Two, 

Wolf. 

Tenth Pupil. 



Eleventh Pupil. 
Little Pig Three. 

Twelfth Pupil. 



Thirteenth Pupil. 

Wolf. 

Little Pig Three. 



"No, no, by the hair 

Of my chinny-chin-chin." 

"Then I'll huff and I'll puff 

And I'll blow your house in." 

Then the wolf huffed and puffed and blew in 

the straw house and ate up little pig One. 
Little pig Two found some sticks. 
"The sticks will not make a strong house. 

The sticks will make a tall house. I will 

build my house of sticks." 
Then little pig Two built a tall house of sticks. 

One day the wolf came to the house of sticks. 

The wolf knocked at the door. 
"Little pig, little pig, 
Let me come in." 
"No, no, by the hair 
Of my chinny-chin-chin." 
"Then I'll huff and I'll puff 
And I'll blow your house in." 
So the wolf huffed and he puffed and blew in 

the house of sticks and ate up little pig 

Two. 
Little pig Three found some stone. 
"This stone will make a strong house. I will 

build my house of stone." 
The little pig worked one day. He worked 

two days. He worked three days. Then 

the house of stone was built. 
The wolf came to the stone house. He 

knocked at the door. 
"Little pig, little pig, 
Let me come in." 
"No, no, by the hair 
Of my chinny-chin-chin." 



30 



Wolf. 

Little Pig Three. 
Fourteenth Pupil. 



" Then I'll huff and I'll puff 

And I'll blow your house in." 

"You may huff and puff, but you will not 

blow my house in." 
The wolf huffed and puffed, and huffed and 

puffed, but he did not blow in the strong 

house of stone. 



6. Drill on words, phrases, and 


word-groups. This selection 


has twenty-eight new words, as follows : 


Once 


straw 


huffed 


there 


wolf 


puffed 


mother 


came 


blow 


day 


knocked 


your 


go 


door 


ate 


find 


let 


sticks 


went 


me 


so 


shall 


by 


stone 


soft 


chinny-chin he 






did 


The leading phrases and word-groups are the following : 


a mother pig 




make my house soft 


three little pigs 




build a straw house 


little pig One 




house of soft straw 


little pig Two 




knocked at the door 


little pig Three 




ran to the door 


mother pig said 




let me come in 


went to find work 




the wolf said 


build me a house 




I'll huff and I'll puff 


build a soft house 




blow your house in 


build a tall house 




puffed and huffed 


build a strong house 


in the straw house 


found some straw 




found some sticks 


make a tall house 




make a strong house 



31 



my house of sticks 

of my chinny-chin-chin 

found some stone 



my house of stone 
the little pig worked 
to the stone house 
at the door 



7 and 8. See suggestions under Selection I, Part IV, and sug- 
gestions in Parts II and III. 



Selection VII, pp. 45-52 

PETER AND NANNY 

1,-2, 3, 4. See suggestions under Selections I and III, Part IV. 

5. Dramatization. For suggestions and plan, see Selections III 
and VI. 

6. Drill on words, phrases, and word-groups. 

This selection has thirty new words : 



Peter 


bite 






hang 


Nanny 


home 






are 


goat 


bear 






give 


name 


kill 






milk 


away 


am 






for 


saw 


hungry 






gate 


hill 


want 






her 


supper 


man 






leg 


dear 


shoot 






Mah-ah 


fox 


rope 






now 


The leading phrases and w 


ord-groups 


are: 






had a goat 




saw some grass 


the boy's name 




on 


a hill 


i 


the goat's name 




eat that 


grass 



32 



ran away 
come home 
this grass 
want my supper 
ran to the fox 
My dear fox 
bite Nanny 
will not come home 
I will not 
ran to the wolf 
My dear wolf 
chase the fox 
ran to the bear 
My dear bear 
kill the wolf 
so hungry 
ran to the man 
My dear man 
shoot the bear 
ran to the rope 
My dear rope 



to find his goat 
hang the man 
ran to the rat 
My dear rat 
gnaw the rope 
ran to the cat 
My dear cat 
catch the rat 
the cat said 
my little ones 
gave the cat 
caught the rat 
gnawed the rope 
hanged the man 
shot the bear 
killed the wolf 
chased the fox 
bit Nanny 
into the gate 
cut her leg 
on three legs 



7 and 8. See suggestions under Selection I, Part IV, and sug- 
gestions in Parts II and III. 



Selection VIII, p. 53 

COME, BUTTER, COME 

This old English rhyme has but three new words — butter, 
waiting, cake — and but two word-groups — stands at the gate, 
and jor a buttered cake. 



33 



Selection IX, pp. 54-63 

THE WHITE RABBIT 

1, 2, 3, 4. See suggestions under Selections I and III, Part IV. 

5. Dramatization. For suggestions and plan, see Selections III 
and VI. 

6. Drill on words, phrases, and word-groups. 

This selection has thirty new words : 



rabbit 


bound 




poor 


cabbage 


can 




out 


soup 


time 




ant 


from 


she 




weep 


locked 


ox 




they 


gruff 


help 




together 


voice 


afraid 




great 


huge 


big 




keyhole 


jolly 


oh 




stung 


spring 


fine 




window 


ading phrases and word-groups are: 




the white rabbit 




through the keyhole 


went to the garden 




knocked at the door 


home from the garden 


. 


who is it 




look for a cabbage 




make me some soup 


door of her house 




the gruff 


voice 


spring and a bound 




the huge 


jolly goat 


cut you in three 




met a fine cock 


up in no time 




the poor 


rabbit 


the little white rabbit 




will help 


me 


I got home 




my little house 


cut me in three 




can I go 




eat me up 




a little ant 



34 



in no time do you weep 

the strong ox came from the garden 

I am afraid went back together 

met a big dog at the house door 

the big dog up the stair 

cannot help you from the window 

in a gruff voice cut up the cabbage 

can sting you in the little house 

7 and 8. See suggestions under Selection I, and suggestions in 
Parts II and III. 

For suggestions on teaching the remaining selections in Book 
One and the selections in the following books of the series, teachers 
should make frequent reference to Parts II and III. In all but the 
cumulative tales, the recitation by the teacher and pupils in 
advance (Steps 2 and 3 of Part III) may be omitted. After the 
first few selections, the blackboard work (Step 7 of Part III) may 
be lessened, but throughout Book One the board should be used 
freely for drill in word recognition and as an aid in concentrating 
the attention of the entire class. The drill on words, phrases, 
and word-groups (Step 6 of Part III) should be continued as long 
as it seems necessary to fix the forms. 

Teachers need to be reminded that the reading period should 
never become a teacher's resting time. As the work advances 
and the upper grade readers are used, the selections found are of a 
higher order, and are richer in literary, scientific, and historical 
allusions. In these advanced grades the reading lesson may be 
made an intensely interesting study in higher English, and at the 
same time afford a rare opportunity for drill on the fine points of 
enunciation, intonation, and expression. 

No study in the course should be more popular or more profitable. 



35 



PART V 
PHONIC EXERCISES 

1. Purpose. The purpose of phonic drill is twofold: To aid 
pupils in word-mastery, and to cultivate distinct articulation, clear 
enunciation, and a pure tone. Some one has well said, " Speak, 
that I may know thee." Knowledge of the personality of a speaker 
is gained no more by the words that are spoken than by the manner 
of their utterance. Slipshod, mumbling pronunciation is heard 
only from a careless or ignorant person, while distinct enunciation, 
even of obscure sounds, indicates education and training. A 
"cultured voice" is easily recognized, even if the speaker is unseen, 
both by the well-articulated words and by the well-modulated tones. 
Phonic drill for articulation and tone production should be kept 
up throughout the school life of the child, long after drill for word 
mastery is unnecessary ; and throughout the school course correct 
enunciation should be insisted upon not only by teachers of English 
but by teachers of all other subjects. 

The early drill in phonetics should provide a key to word recog- 
nition so that pupils, through phonic analysis and the context, 
may soon become independent, self-reliant readers. In all these 
exercises the teacher should heed the sound pedagogical principle : 
Never tell a pupil what he can be made to find out for himself. 

In this work pupils should be taught to know their own organs 
of articulation — upper lip, lower lip, tip of tongue, top of tongue, 
back of tongue, palate, and teeth — in what part of the mouth or 
throat each sound is made, how to place the tongue, lips, and teeth, 
and how to manage the breath in making the sound. 

Note. Phonies treats of speech sounds ; phonetics treats of the repre- 
sentation of speech sounds by symbols. 

36 



The sounding of letters may be made a constructive exercise as 
well as an imitative one. After several lessons in phonics, a dis- 
tinction should be made between voice sounds and breath sounds. 

The key to good phonic work is slow pronunciation, a prolonging 
and blending of the sounds to form a syllable or word. In this 
work the teacher should make large use of phonograms, especially 
of blend-words and of combinations that are easily learned as 
wholes and that are useful in word formation, always remembering 
that phonetic drill is a means and not an end. For instance, the 
teacher and pupils slowly pronounce such words as m an, r an, 
m ake, s ee, s ell, but do not immediately pronounce the words 
man, ran, make, see, sell, after making the sounds, as they would 
in a spelling exercise. The pupils should be led to see that slow 
pronunciation with close blending gives the word, and that a 
further naming of the words is unnecessary. In fact a second pro- 
nunciation tends to prevent the very thing that the exercise is 
designed to aid, namely, a recognition of the word by a combi- 
nation of elementary sounds. 

Phonetics is taught by a succession of eye pictures and ear 
pictures. The eye and the ear should each have its own training. 
Exercises in sounding letters, words, and combinations when there 
is no assistance from the eye are extremely valuable. To train 
the ear to distinguish readily the different sounds used in the 
English language is an essential part of the work in phonetics. 

The first work in this line should be with sounds that are easily 
made, that are readily prolonged, that are common, and that are 
most useful in the formation of new words ; for example, the sounds 
of/, I, m, n, r, s, a, e, o. 

The separate vowel sounds, as such, should not be taught until the 
single consonant sounds and most of the combined consonant sounds 
have been thoroughly mastered. Vowels will be indirectly treated 
in the basal phonograms, or endings, as they occur in the lessons. 

Note. A phonogram is a letter or a combination of letters used to 
represent a single speech sound. 

37 



When the study of phonics should begin must be left to the 
judgment of the teacher. Much will depend on the mental capac- 
ity of the class and the nature of the material to be read. At 
times the teacher may turn to phonic drill exercises in order to 
afford variety and novelty in the effort to visualize words. Most 
teachers will choose to defer the formal study of phonics until the 
pupils have made a start in reading, until they recognize at sight 
fifty or sixty words, and have read several selections from the 
board or book. Probably the best time for drill exercises on word- 
formation is that immediately following the reading lesson, when 
the word and the idea for which it stands are fresh in the pupils' 
minds. 

When the pupil has made a good beginning in phonetics, he 
will make use of his knowledge of the sounds of letters to determine 
the pronunciation of many a word in each reading lesson. He will 
then have as keys to new words, and as helps to good expression, 
the visualized image, the context, and, in addition, phonetic 
power. 

In the following pages no attempt is made to determine the 
amount of work to be covered in each step taken. The rapidity 
of advance depends on the teacher and on the class. Thorough- 
ness, however, is all-important. 

2. Early exercises. As an aid to beginners, a few of the early 
exercises are here outlined. Assuming that pupils can recognize 
fifty, sixty, or possibly one hundred words before any systematic 
training in phonics is undertaken, the first step should be to select 
a few familiar words from the first three or four selections in Book 
One that lend themselves most easily to phonic analysis and drill ; 
as, sell, make, no, ran, King, fed, log, hen, rat, dog, pig. 

The teacher should then sound slowly and distinctly the words 
selected for the lesson, separating each word into two parts, until 
the pupils recognize the separate sounds and give these sounds 
promptly and clearly. 

38 



In connection with the work, constant use should be made of 
the blackboard. As the teacher slowly sounds the word sell, 
she writes upon the board s ell. By prolonging the sound of the 
first letter, the pupils quickly learn the sound of s. Then by 
covering one part of the word with a book or card while the pupils 
give the other part, and by repeating the exercise several times, 
the teacher will soon lead the pupils to recognize and sound the 
two parts of the word without hesitation. Similar exercises in 
separating other initial sounds from their basal phonograms should 
then follow. By this method the class in a short time will have 
a key to most of the words used. 

In connection with this work, and especially with children 
having any defect of speech, it will be necessary for the teacher to 
call attention to the correct position of the lips, teeth, and tongue, 
and to give frequent drill exercises for the purpose of training the 
pupils to control their organs of speech. 

The following grouping of words is suggested as a beginning in 
a building-up process with the single sounds and basal phonograms 
selected : 

sell make no ran 

From these words the sounds of the single consonants, s, m, n, r, 
and the basal phonograms, ell, ake, o, an, will be derived. By 
using these four single initial phonograms with the basal phono- 
grams, the following lists appear : 

sell make no ran 

s m n r 

ell ake o an 

Nell sake so man 

rake Nan 

At the close of the first lesson every pupil in the class should be 
able to give the sounds of s, m, n, r, and to name the basal phono- 
grams, ell, ake, o, an. Much individual drill will be necessary. 

39 



A second grouping of words may be King, fed, log, hen. The 
teacher and pupils should slowly and distinctly pronounce these 
words as they are written upon the board — K ing, f ed, I og, h en. 
Soon the pupils will recognize the two parts of each word, and will 
be able to sound them. This will add to their vocabulary the 
sounds of k, f, I, h, and the basal phonograms, ing, ed, og, en. 

With the sounds of s, m, n, r, k,f, I, h, now taught, the building-up 
process may be continued, as follows : 



King 


fed 


log 


hen 


k 


f 


1 


h 


ing 


ed 


og 


en 


sing 


Ned 


sog 


men 


ring 


red 


nog 






led 


fog 
hog 





Note. At each exercise a review of the basal phonograms and of the 
sounds of the initial consonants that have been taught previously will be 
necessary. The sounds can be fixed in the mind only by a great amount 
of drill. 

In the next group of words — rat, doll, pig, toss — are the added 
single sounds of d, p, t, and the basal phonograms, at, oil, ig, oss. 

With the single sounds of s, m, n, r, k, f, I, h, d, p, t now taught, 
the building-up process may be continued, as follows : 



rat 


doll 


pig 


toss 


r 


d 


P 


t 


at 


oil 


ig 


OSS 


sat 


loll 


rig 


moss 


mat 


Poll 


fig 


loss 


Nat 




dig 




fat 








hat 








pat 









40 



After the sounds of these eleven single consonants have been 
thoroughly taught, there may follow a drill and a building-up 
process with initial combinations and basal phonograms, as 
follows : 



that 


ground 


three 


chick 


wheat 


plant 


th 


gr 


thr 


ch 


wh 


pi 


at 


ound 


ee 


ick 


eat 


ant 


sat 


sound 


see 


sick 


seat 


pant 


mat 


mound 


fee 


nick 


meat 


rant 


rat 


round 


thee 


kick 


neat 


grant 


Nat 


found 




lick 


feat 


chant 


fat 


hound 




Dick 


heat 




hat 


pound 




pick 


cheat 




pat 






tick 


pleat 




chat 













The plan outlined to this point will indicate the method of 
treatment. The sounds of other letters, single and combined, and 
other building phonograms will appear as the work advances. 

3. Selections I to V. In the pages following are outlined the 
leading key-words and phonograms, including single phonograms, 
combinations, and basals found in the first five selections of Book 
One. 









Selection I 






THE 


KEY 


TO 


THE KING'S GARDEN 




Key-words 




Initial Phonograms 


Basals 


King 








k 


ing 


sell 








S 


ell 


rat 








r 


at 


that 








th 


at 


cow 








c(k) 


ow 


fed 








f 


ed 



41 



Key-words Initial Phonograms Basals 

dog d og 

tossed t oss 

garden g ar, en 

ground gr ound 

From these basal phonograms and the initial phonograms named, 
the following words may be built up : 



king 


sell 


rat 


cow fed 


dog 


tossed garden ground 


ing 


ell 


at 


ow ed 


og 


oss ar, en ound 


sing 


fell 


sat 


row red 


fog 


car, den sound 


ring 


dell 


that 






far, ten round 


ding 


tell 


cat 
fat 






tar, then found 



Many more words can be formed from the basals given above by 
use of initial phonograms found in the later selections. 





Selection 


II 








LITTLE ACORN ! 


SISTERS 






ley-words 


Initial Phonograms 




Basals 


little 


1 






it 


three 


thr 






ee 


no 


n 









little 


three 




no 




it 


ee 









kit 


see 




so 




sit 


fee 




go 




fit 


thee 




lo 




grit 











Note. The term basal, as a shortened form for basal phonogram, des- 
ignates a word or a part of a word that is used for building purposes. In 
speaking of this word to the class, the teacher may choose to call it a 
building-word, or family-word. 



42 



Selection III 



THE LITTLE RED HEN 



Key-words 


Initial Phonograms 


Basals 


ran 






r* 






an 


hen 






h 






en 


chick 






ch 






ick 


Pig 






P 






ig 


wheat 






wh 






eat 


plant 






Pi 






ant 


this 






th* 






is 


will 






w 






ill 


not 






n* 






ot 


cut 






c* 






ut 


thresh 


i 




thr 


* 




esh 


grind 






gr * 






ind 


make 






m 






ake 


but 






b 






ut 


bread 






br 






ead 


had 






h* 






ad 


ran 


hen 


chick 




pig 


wheat 


plant this 


an 


en 


ick 




ig 


eat 


ant is 


can 


fen 


kick 




rig 


seat 


rant sis 


fan 


den 


sick 




fig 


feat 


cant 


Dan 


ten 


Dick 




dig 


neat 


grant 


tan 


then 


tick 




gig 


heat 


chant 


than 


pen 


lick 




whig 


cheat 


pant 


Nan when 


nick 




wig 


peat 




pan 


wen 


rick 




big 


pleat 




plan 


men 


pick 




brig 


meat 




man 


Ben 


brick 






beat 




bran 




wick 











Note. Any phonograms marked * have been used before though in 
different relations. 



43 



will 


not 


thresh 


grind 


make 


but 


bread 


had 


ill 


ot 


esh 


ind 


ake 


ut 


ead 


ad 


kill 


rot 


mesh 


kind 


sake 


rut 


dead 


sad 


sill 


cot 




rind 


rake 


cut 


lead 


fad 


rill 


dot 




find 


cake 


tut 


thread 


dad 


fill 


tot 




hind 


fake 


nut 


head 


gad 


dill 


got 




wind 


take 


hut 




lad 


till 


lot 




mind 


lake 






pad 


gill 


hot 




bind 


wake 






mad 


grill 


pot 






bake 






bad 


thrill 


plot 






brake 






brad 


hill 
















chill 
















pill 
















mill 



















Sele 


1CTI0N 


IV 




MY 


GARDEN 


Key-words 


Initial Phonograms 


small 




sm 




my 




m* 






small 




my 




all 




y 




call 




thy 




fall 




why 




tall 




ply 




gall 




by 




thrall 








hall 








pall 








wall 








mall 








ball 


- 





Basals 
all 

y 



44 







Selection V 










THE 


HOUSE THAT THE 


BOYS BUILT 




Key-words 


Initial 


Phonograms 




Basals 




house 






h* 






ouse 




boys 






b* 






oy 




nailed 






n* 






ail 




made 






m* 






ade 




farmer 






-p * 






er 




strong 






str 






ong 




good 






g* 






ood 




cook 






c* 






ook 




crows 






cr 






ow 




morn 






m* 






orn 




feeds 






£* 






eed 




table 






t* 






able 




white 






wh* 






ite 




square 






squ 






are 




stands 






St 






and 




braided 






br* 






aid 




hair 






h* 






air 




room 






r* 






oom 




foot 






f * 






oot 




house 


boys 


nailed 


made 


farmer 


strong 


good 


ouse 


oy 


ail 


ade 




er 


ong 


ood 


douse 


toy 


sail 


fade 




her 


song 


hood 


grouse 




rail 


grade 




per 


dong 


wood 


mouse 




fail 
tail 
hail 
pail 
wail 
bail 


lade 
wade 






tong 

gong 

long 

throng 

thong 


stood 



45 



cook 


crows 


morn 


feeds 


table 


white 


square 


ook 


ow 


orn 


eed 


able 


ite 


are 


rook 


sow 


corn 


seed 


sable 


kite 


rare 


took 


row 


lorn 


reed 


cable 


site 


fare 


look 


tow 


horn 


deed 


fable 


rite 


dare 


nook 


grow 


born 


greed 


gable 


cite 


tare 


hook 


low 


thorn 


need 


stable 


mite 


hare 


book 


throw 




heed 




bite 


pare 


brook 


mow 




breed 




smite 


ware 


crook 


stow 




creed 
steed 






mare 
bare 
stare 




stands 


braided 


hair 


room 


foot 






and 


aid 


air 


oom 


oot 






sand 


raid 


fair 


doom 


soot 






grand 


laid 


lair 


groom 


root 






land 


paid 


chair 


loom 








hand 


maid 


pair 


boom 








band 


staid 


stair 


broom 








brand 














strand 













Phonic Summary through Selection V 



r .ey-words 


Initials 


Basals 


king 


k 


ing 


sell 


s 


ell 


rat 


r 


at 


that 


th 


— 


cow 


c(k) 


ow 


fed 


f 


ed 


dog 


d 


og 


toss 


t 


OSS 


garden 


g 


ar, en 



46 



Key-words 


Initials 


Basals 


ground 


gr 


ound 


little 


1 


it 


three 


thr 


ee 


no 


n 





hen 


h 


en 


ran 


— 


an 


chick 


ch 


ick 


Pig 


P 


ig 


wheat 


wh 


eat 


plant 


pi 


ant 


this 


— 


is 


will 


w 


ill 


not 


— 


ot 


thresh 


— 


esh 


grind 


— 


ind 


make 


m 


ake 


but 


b 


ut 


bread 


br 


ead 


had 


— 


ad 


small 


sm 


all 


my 


— 


y 


house 


— 


ouse 


boys 


— 


oy 


nail 


— 


ail 


made 


— 


ade 


farmer 


— 


er 


strong 


str 


ong 


good 


— 


ood 


cook 


— 


ook 



47 



Key-words 


Initials 


Basals 


crow 


cr 


ow 


morn 


— 


orn 


feed 


— 


eed 


table 


— 


able 


white 


— 


ite 


square 


squ 


are 


stand 


St 


and 


braid 


— 


aid 


hair 


— 


air 


room 


— 


oom 


foot 


— 


oot 



4. Selections VI to IX. In the four following selections in Book 
One, The Three Little Pigs, Peter and Nanny, Come, Butter, 
Come, and The White Rabbit, new endings in new words appear 
from which other words may be built up by use of the initial 
phonograms already taught. The leading key- words, new initial 
phonograms, and new basal phonograms are here tabulated for the 
convenience of the teacher. 



Key-words 


Basals 


Key-words 


Basals 


there 


ere 


let 


et 


mother 


other 


me 


e 


day 


ay 


chin 


in 


went 


ent 


blow (bl) 


ow 


shall (sh) 


all 


ate 


ate 


soft 


oft 


sticks 


icks 


straw 


aw 


stone 


one 


came 


ame 


he 


e 


knocked (kn) 


ocked 


did 


id 


door 


oor 






name 


ame 


rope 


ope 


away 


ay 


hang 


ang 



48 



Key-words 


Basals 


Key-words 


Basals 


dear 


ear 


milk 


ilk 


fox 


ox 


for 


or 


home 


ome 


gate 


ate 


bear 


ear 


her 


er 


am 


am 


leg 


eg 


short 


ort 







butter 



utter 



cake 



ake 



soup 


oup 


poor 


oor 


from (fr) 


om 


out 


out 


locked 


ocked 


ant 


ant 


gruff 


uff 


weep 


eep 


huge 


uge 


they 


ey 


jolly (j) 


oily 


together 


ether 


time 


ime 


great 


eat 


help 


elp 


hole 


ole 


afraid 


aid 


stung 


ung 


big 


ig 


window 


ow 


fine 


ine 







New initial phonograms and new basals will appear in the new 
words of the later selections. Teachers should make use of these 
initial phonograms and basals in the formation of word lists for 
drill purposes as occasion requires. These exercises may be made 
very interesting and profitable. 

From this time on through Book One and through the following 
books of the series, the work in phonetics will be a repetition and 
development of what has been outlined above. 



49 



5. Consonant sounds. The consonant sounds made by uniting 
tone with breath are termed sub-vocals. These are : 

b as in bat, beg 
d " " dame, dip 
g " " game, gold 
j " " jar, joke 



1 


cc 


cc 


lay, light 


m 


cc 


cc 


may, might 


n 


CC 


cc 


nay, noon 


ng 


cc 


cc 


sing, ringer 


nk 


u 


cc 


ink, sunk 


r 


cc 


ti 


ray, right 


th 


cc 


a 


thee, thine 


V 


cc 


ti 


very, vine 


w 


cc 


ic 


way, will 


y 


cc 


a 


yard, yes 


z 


cc 


a 


zeal, zest 


zh 


cc 


(C 


glazier, azure 



The consonant sounds made by breath alone are termed aspirates. 
These are : 



c 


as in cell, city 


c 


u 


" cat, come 


f 


cc 


" fail, fine 


h 


cc 


" high, home 


k 


cc 


" king, kind 


p 


cc 


" pack, pat 


s 


cc 


" seal, sink 


t 


cc 


" tame, tip 


th 


cc 


" thick, thin 


sh 


cc 


" ship, shop 


wh 


cc^ 


" when, white 



50 



Table of Consonant Sounds from Webster's International Dictionary 

Glottal, throat, whispered, h (him) 

Guttural, root of tongue and soft 

palate, whispered, k (cow), wh (why) 

voiced, g (go), ng (sing), n (ink) 
Palatal, middle of tongue, hard 

palate, voiced, y (yet) 

Dental, blade of tongue and gums, whispered, sh (she), ch (chop) 

voiced, zh (azure), j (jet) 

Dental, blade of tongue and teeth, whispered, s(so) 

voiced, z (zeal) 
Dental, tip of tongue and gums, 

back, whispered, t (ten) 

voiced, d (do), n (no), 1 (lip) 
Dental, tip of tongue and edge of 

teeth, whispered, th (thin) 

voiced, th (then), r (red) 

Labial, lower lip and upper teeth, whispered, f (fine) 

voiced, v (vim) 

Labial, both lips, whispered, p (pit), why (why) 

voiced, b (boy),m (me), w (we) 



6. Vowel sounds. When the time has come to teach vowel 
sounds apart from combinations, the long sounds of a, e, i, o, u 
should first be taken, as these sounds can readily be prolonged. 
The short sounds should follow. In the teaching of basal phono- 
grams, the attention of the pupils has been called to the first 
vowel sound, usually a long or short sound. The transition to a 
special drill on the different vowel sounds will therefore be easy. 

51 



The plan of introducing consonant phonograms as the initial 
letters of well-known words may be utilized in the teaching of 
vowel sounds whenever it seems expedient to give them their 
entity as vowel sounds, and not merely as parts of basal phono- 
grams. Easy words with which to do this are constantly occurring. 
The following are all of the vowel sounds that a first year class 
needs to know. These are accompanied by a list of familiar words 
beginning with the vowel sounds indicated : 



a as 


in ate, ape 


a " 


" an, at 


a " 


" arm, art 


a " 


" all, awe 


a " 


" air 


e " 


" eat, eve 


e " 


" egg, end 


e " 


" err, ermine 


I " 


" ice, ivy 


i " 


" it, ill 


\ " 


" irksome (irk) 


o " 


" oats, ode 


6 " 


" ox, odd 


6 " 


" or, organ 


ii " 


" use, unit 


u " 


" us, up 


u " 


" urn, urge 



Nearly all the words given above may be used as basal phono- 
grams in forming groups of words. For purposes of drill on the 
long and short vowel sounds and on basal phonograms, perception 
cards will be found of value. 



52 



In work with vowel sounds, diacritical marks should be em- 
ployed to help in identifying new words. The long and short 
sounds should first be used in such familiar words as make, me, 
mite, note, mute, mad, met, mit, not, and cut. 

The significance of diacritical marks as well as the effect of final 
vowels upon the preceding vowel will soon be apparent to the 
pupils. The use of these marks in word- and sound-drill at the 
board should be continued until the pupils make a ready interpre- 
tation whenever called upon. The power to pronounce a word 
quickly and correctly through the help of diacritical marks will 
come only through much practice. Drill exercises, therefore, 
must be continued through the early years of school work. When 
the pupils have a good command of phonetics, they will be able to 
read any ordinary selection readily. The modified sounds and 
unusual combinations should receive attention later in the work. 
Teachers are earnestly recommended not to neglect this drill in 
the higher grades. 

In connection with the teaching of diacritical marks, the names 
of letters will be incidentally taught. In fact, the naming of 
the letters is a matter that largely takes care of itself. It is a 
convenience at times to be able to refer to the letters by name, but 
pupils should have the fact impressed upon them that the sound 
rather than the name is the important thing. If the letters are 
referred to constantly by name, it is likely that there will be a 
confusion of name and sound in the teaching of phonetics. At 
the end of the first year, teachers should make sure that the pupils 
can name all the letters and give them in their order. 

7. Key to pronunciation. The system of diacritical marking- 
usually followed, and the one with which pupils should in time 
become familiar, is that given in the latest edition of Webster's 
International Dictionary. 

53 



Key to Pronunciation 



a as in mate 


i as 


in fin 


u as in full 


a " ' 


' mat 


I " 


" fir 


-c " 


' can 


a " ' 

a " ' 


' senate 
' care 


1 " 


" machine 


9 " 


' cell 
' get 


a " ' 


' arm 


" 


" note 


g 


a " ' 


' ask 


" 


" not 


g " ' 


' gem 


a " ' 


1 cau 


o " 


" obey 


s " ' 


' sing 


a " • 


' what 


6 " 


" orb 


s " 


' has 






o " 


" move 


ch " ' 


1 child 


e " ' 
e " ' 
e " ' 


' me 
' met 
' her 
' event 
' obey 


00 " 
00 " 


" food 
" foot 


^h " 
9 h" 


1 -chasm 
" machine 


u " 
u " 

J- t L 

u 


" use 
" us 
" unite 


du " 
th " 
4fc " 


' verdure 
1 thin 
' -them 


I " ' 


' fine 


u " 


" ftir 


tu " 


' nature 



Additional to the above are : 



ng, unmarked, as in long 



n, like ng 


" " ink 


x " gz 


" " example 


x " ks 


" " box 


ph " f 


" " phonics 


qu " kw 


" " quart 


s " zh 


" " vision 



The selection of words to indicate the remaining vowel sounds, 
further work in consonant combination, and the treatment thereof, 
may be left to the judgment of the class teacher. 



54 



PART VI 

REPRINTS FROM BOOKS ONE, TWO, AND THREE 

1. Book One 
a. Foreword 

In Book One, this basal series of school readers begins at once 
with literature. It follows a carefully graded development : 

(1) In the number of new words to the page. 

(2) In the arrangement of material on the page. 

(3) In the difficulty of words and sentences. 

It should be so used that pleasure in good literature will at 
once become a means of inducing the reading habit. 

b. Suggestions to Teachers 

The child's interest. The child's first reading book that begins with 
literature in place of "made-up" sentences is based on the great truth 
that the child's interest is the central factor in learning to read. When the 
child wants to learn to read in order to get something through reading, 
he may be trusted to succeed. The thing that the child invariably wants 
to get is the story. 

The story. In its structure the story presents a definite sequence and 
outcome. Its sequence is the thread that holds its parts together. In 
a simple story the mind easily follows the sequence and grasps the end or 
outcome. For this reason the story is calculated by its structure to meet 
the child's first need of grasping a connected literary whole. 

The content of the story tends to create in the child's mind a series of 
images and so lead him into a delightful new world. If the story is adapted 
to the child, its content or meaning has a direct value for his mind. He 
gets a vital reaction out of it. On this fact rests his interest. 

55 



Many folk tales are adapted to the child's first book because of their 
simple form and literary charm, and because they appeal to the human 
or social interest. The cumulative form of many of these folk tales is 
especially good because the development moves forward by easy steps 
and gives a constant and attractive repetition. These cumulative tales 
are really rhymes for which the children have an innate love. Along 
with the Nursery Rhymes introduced, they satisfy the child's desire for 
rhyming, they give him something to memorize, and help him in the most 
attractive way to a vocabulary of simple basal words. 

Dramatizing. Most of the stories and all the rhymes in this book lend 
themselves readily to simple dramatic action. Acting out the story is 
one of the surest means of giving the child the habit of vividly picturing 
the content. For this reason it tends to make him a good reader. Such 
dramatization should be very simple and in the child's own manner. 
Acting the story should come in the last stage of its study, as the child 
must have time to grow into its imagery so that his expression may be 
simple and natural. 

Blackboard work. Before taking up this book the class should have a 
few weeks of blackboard reading. Word- and sentence-seewgr is a perfectly 
new activity for the child's perceptive powers, and the blackboard is the 
best means in initiating this work. Introduce the work by writing a 
short sentence growing out of some immediate experience. Give the 
children time to grasp the sentence silently before they read it orally. 
Words in connection are most easily grasped ; teach the class to recognize 
phrase-wholes as well as sentence- and word-wholes. When such new 
phrases as "in the garden," "at the window," "a little girl," occur, place 
them on the board along with the new words, and work for their quick 
recognition as wholes. Such training leads to ease in grasping sentences. 

Have daily exercises (apart from the regular reading lesson) in the 
quick recognition of word- and phrase-forms, in word-rhyming, in sentence- 
building, in making word-families, etc. Train the children to find out 
words for themselves. Help them to recognize simple compounds that 
are made up of familiar words like into, cannot, blackbird, etc. Give 
simple inflections like king('s), bed(s), run(s), work(ed) without comment. 
The context makes the use of such words evident. As the work progresses, 
let the children make lists of words with simple endings like ing, ed, etc. 

Make a list of words and phrases that are most difficult for your children 
and give them patient and continuous training on these. The words of 
nearly equal length that have little to distinguish them are most difficult, 
as there and their. As a rule children learn most quickly when they vividly 
picture, or appreciate, the content, e.g., gallops, gnawed, tossed, hungry, 

56 



punish. Long words that are strongly individual inform are easily learned, 
because they do not look like any other word in the child's vocabulary, e.g., 
Golden-Hair, London, Elephant. Words that the children fancy as play 
words are quickly learned — as Cri-Cri, Chinny-chin, etc. In these 
exercises remember always to be most vigilant over those words that 
belong to the fundamental vocabulary. 

When the children are ready to take up Book One, they should be pre- 
pared for the new. story by a little talk which will lead their thought 
toward the subject of the lesson and prepare them to appreciate it, with- 
out, however, giving them any of its direct content. This talk with the 
children should find immediate expression in a group of short related 
sentences written on the board for the class to read. This work should 
be a preparation in vocabulary as well as idea. The words of the book 
lesson and important phrases should be placed on the board, and the 
children be given special help in the ready and intelligent recognition of 
these. 

Taking up the book. The child's attitude toward his first book is a 
matter of the utmost importance. He should not only learn to love his 
book, but he should learn to love to be with it. The first book should 
initiate the child into the love of literature. Several things will help 
toward this end. 

First among these is the habit of silent reading. The very day the book 
is taken up, the class should have a period of re-reading silently the lesson 
of the day. The teacher should be free in these first periods of silent read- 
ing to help the children over difficulties, to check the idle tendency to 
turn pages at random, and to encourage a closer observation of both 
picture and text. Most children need help in getting living insight into 
these stories. The oral lesson is likely to hold some help in interpreting 
the book. The period of silent reading gives him an opportunity to assim- 
ilate this and make it his own. As soon as possible the class should 
become self -helpful and self-directive in these periods. 

Second. The power of vividly imaging the story or situation. The child's 
imagery is essentially his own. It finds in the folk tale and rhyme a most 
congenial atmosphere. If the child becomes mentally active over the 
illustration, it becomes a means of adding charm and truth to his imagery 
— all this should augment the child's love of his book. 

Phonics. The children should be helped early to the sound analysis 
of words. The teacher should introduce this work by "sounding " phonet- 
ically a few familiar words, r-un, s-it, g-o. Teach the child to separate the 
initial consonant in simple phonetic words. Write these. Be careful 
always to see that the sounds are given correctly and that the child makes 

57 



the blend properly. Special attention should be given to the initial and 
the final consonants. 

The key to phonics is slow pronunciation. In presenting a new phono- 
gram the teacher should pronounce the key-word slowly so as to bring out 
the phonogram, e.g., k-ing ; repeat more rapidly, making blend. As the 
phonogram recurs help the children to recognize it. Give the children 
exercises in analyzing simple consonant sounds as/ in fed, h in hat, b in big, 
etc. Let the children use these familiar consonant sounds with the phono- 
grams they have mastered so as to make new words, e.g., f, h, and b with 
the at phonogram make fat, hat, bat. Such work should lead the child to 
closer habits of observing words and give him a growing sense of word- 
mastery. 

Make all this work count as ear, eye, and speech training. See that 
children are quick to hear and see and are accurate in pronouncing all 
phonograms. Teach simple phonograms as they occur, choosing those 
that recur most frequently. The names of the letters should not be taught 
until this work is thoroughly established — ■ the child should form the 
habit of thinking the sound of the letter before he has its name. 

Do not let the work in phonics interfere with the natural and necessary 
habit of recognizing the word through the context. The child should 
read through the context and help himself out with phonics only when 
this fails him. As the work advances he should grow less and less con- 
scious of the words as he reads and more directly intent on meaning. 
The whole aim of the work is to make him a reader, not a mere word adept. 
For this reason training in the mechanics of reading should take place 
outside the reading hour. 

Phrase training. Certain words, notably adjectives, adverbs, and 
prepositions, are more quickly grasped when they are presented in relation 
to some other word or words to which they are joined through meaning. 
In this way the word is associated with its form. Phrase training leads 
to more intelligent grasp of meaning and thus to better expression in oral 
reading. 



58 



c. LIST BY PAGE OF NEW WORDS AND 
IMPORTANT PHRASES 

New words are underscored. Words or phrases for review 
are in parenthesis. Capitalization follows the text. Average 
number of new words three to a page. 



5. The key 
the key 
To 

King's 
garden 

6. I sell 

7. the string 
That 
held 

8. the rat 

gnawed 

9. the cat 

caught 

10. dog 

chased 

11. cow 

tossed 

12. grass 
fed 



13. 



14 



15. 



16. 
17. 



ground 
grew the 
grass 

will 
buy 

(I will buy) 

little 
acorn 



sister 
One 



18. 



Two 

Three 
girls 

No 



red 
hen 
ran 

chicks 

(to the garden) 

A rat 



20. 



21. 



(A cat) 

Apig 
was 

(in the garden) 

some 



22. thresh 
grind 



23. 



w 



heat 



19. found 
The hen 

said 
See 
it 



24. 



The hen 
asked 



Who 

will plant 
this wheat 
I will not 
I will then 



25. 



grew up 

(Then) 

will cut 



(grind it) 

make 
bread 

(Bread) 
(make bread) 

eat 

But 

had 

my 

seeds 

small 

(will grow) 

flowers 
tall 

This is 
house 



boys 



— built 



board 



59 





was nailed 




is put 




I shall 


44. 


did not 




(in the house) 




(on the table) 




build 


45. 


Peter 


26. 


log 

made 

tree 


32. 


braided 
hair 

(washes the 


37. 
38. 


soft 
straw 




Nanny 
a goat 




in the 




china) 




(This straw) 




name 








wood 




with great 
care 


39. 


a wolf 
came 




ran away 
saw 


27. 


farmer 
strong 
good 

Strong and 
good 


33. 


a room 






46. 




knocked 
at the door 
Let me 


on a hill 




At the foot 
of the stair 


supper 
My dear 






Where 


40. 


by the hair 




fox 








works 




chinny- 




bite 


28, 


cock 























chin 




home 




crows 


34. 


a doll 




huffed 




(Come) 










in the 












(come home) 




morn 




we 

call 

Clare 




puffed 
blow 
(blew in) 


48. 


bear 




wakes 


kill 


29. 


laddie 




take 




your house 




I am 




corn 








ate 




hungry 




(planting corn) 

feeds 


35. 


Once there 
was 


41, 


sticks 




I want 


30. 


table 




a mother 


42. 


(of sticks) 

So 


49. 


man 
shoot 




white 




(There was) 


43. 


some stone 




rope 




square 
stands 


36. 


One day 




(This stone) 
(of stone) 




hang 








Go 




He worked 


50. 


(But) 


31. 


china 




find 




(one day) 




(catch) 




washed 
with care 




went 
(Little pig) 




(two days) 
(three days) 
(was built) 


51. 


are 
Give me 



60 





milk 
for 




(With a 
spring) 


65 


. you must 
be 




(You may) 
sweet 




(gaye) 


57 


. She met 




I may be 


73 


. stir 


52 


. gate 




Strong ox 


sun 




Do not 




her leg 




help me 




melt 




spoon 




Mah-ah 




I am afraid 


wall 




fell 






58 


. big 




keeps 




drowned 


53 


butter 




Oh 


68. 


Cri-Cri 


74 


. Robin 




Waiting 


59. 


fine 




lived 




Red- 




cake 




(Help me) 




pretty 




breast 




(a buttered 
cake) 

rabbit 




(a fine cock) 




hear 




Why 


54. 


60. 


the poor 
rabbit 




sing 
Moo-oo 




cut off 
bill 




cabbage 




(No one) 












soup 




out of 


69. 


speak 


75. 


tail 




(to look) 




ant 




pleasant 




Queen 




(to make) 




weep 




Bow-wow 






55. 


from the 


61 


they 
together 




(bow-wow) 


77. 


sat 




garden 
locked 




70. 


broom 
Ugh- ugh 




upon a 
tree 




A gruff 


62. 


great 




(Pretty Ant) 




down 




voice 




keyhole 


71. 


Gray 




if you can 




(Who is it) 




stung 




Pussy 




(Up) 


56. 


huge 

J oll y 




window 




began 
Meow 




(Down) 
(Said) 






64. 


snow 






78. 


hop 




a spring 
a bound 




food 
clogged 


72. 


meow 
Cock-a- 




stop 

how do you 




can 




feet 




doodle- 




do 




in no time 




(It began) 




doo 




shook 



61 





far away 


88. 


punish 




ride away 




(into the tent) 




he flew 

(flew away) 


89. 


scold 




clippety- 
clap 




head 
through 


79. 


Wee 


91 


fire 








the 










96. 


lost a shoe 




door 




Robin 




I must 













Christmas 




bake 




what shall 


103. 


do no 




song 




stream 


97. 


(How can I) 




harm 




go 








coal 


105. 


middle- 


80. 


him 


92. 


mill 




iron 




sized 




bonny 




wind 




heat the 




bear 




Sly Fox 


93. 


selfish 




iron 




father 


81. 


(to a garden) 




in fear 


98. 


hay 




bear 


84. 


(good man) 




(Go away) 




miller 




baby bear 




child 




(ran away) 




(I can give) 


106. 


Golden 




I have 


94. 


John 




(may shoe) 




Hair 




been 




Smith 


99. 


wheels 




(No one) 




London 




within 




round and 




opened 




diamond 




Blacksmith 




round 




the 




As big as 




set a shoe 




turn 




door 




shoe 




Ye"s 




old woman 




bowls 


85. 


Thick and 


L 


Here and 








tasted 




thin 




there 


100. 


, miner 




too hot 











Fit for i 


t 


Tick -tack- 


101. 


under the 




just right 




King 




too 




ground 107. 


chairs 


86. 


monkey 


95. 


pony 




four 




too hard 




nut 




(on his pony) 




clang 




broke it 




large tree 




loved to 


102 


. camel 




in 


87. 


officer 




jump 
(loved to go) 




in a tent 


108. 


beds 



62 



Ill 



lay down 


112. Wise 




deer 


116. 


(we shall see) 


fell asleep 


Lion 




sheep 


117. 


(Shall we go) 


l. (Some one) 


Earth 




tiger 




(They went 


has tasted 


over and 




elephant 




away) 


all gone 


over 






118. 


black- 


has been 


heard a 


114. 


saying 




birds 


sitting 


noise 


115. 


(say so) 

Who told 
you? 




The other 


>. lying 


brother 




Jack 


(here she is) 


rabbit 




(told me) 




Jill 


awoke 


(day by day) 




(What made 


s 


fly away 


. for the 


113. go and 




you) 




come 


lady 


tell 




(say that) 
(I saw it) 




again 


Suggestive 


List of Phonograms and 


Consonants 


Phonograms 


Keywords 


Consonants 


Keywords 


ing, 5 


king 




P, 18 




Pig 


at, 8 


rat 




s, 19 




see 


ow, 11 


cow 




c, 21 




cut 


o,16 


no 




r,17 




ran 


ill, 14 


will 




b, 58 




big 


all, 37 


tall 




th, 85 




thin 


ay, 36 


day 




f, 12 




fed 


ee, 19 


see 




h, 17 




hen 


ig, 35 


pig 




n, 20 




not 


a, 15 


acorn 




m, 23 




make 


ell, 6 


sell 




k, 5 




king 


it, 85 


fit 




t, 34 




take 


ick, 41 


stick 




1, 39 




let 


ed, 17 


red 




st, 41 




stick 



63 



2. Book Two 

a. Foreword 

Lend a Hand has been compiled with the aim of making litera- 
ture a means of developing the child's social interest while affording 
him mental training. There has been an effort made to represent 
generous outgoing activity in various aspects and in such simple, 
attractive form as to appeal to the social-ethical nature of the 
child. In the character and development of the vocabulary, as 
well as in the variety of its literary forms, Lend a Hand stands for 
a second grade basal reader. 

b. Suggestions to Teachers 

Phrase training. Book Two furnishes many illustrations of idiomatic 
English. Such selections afford excellent material for training in funda- 
mental phrase forms. When the new word can be presented most effec- 
tively in its phrase relation, it should Be written on the board in that form. 
The child quickly separates the word out, and recognizes it alone. Mean- 
while the phrase relation is often needed to give a correct idea of the way 
the word is used. This is illustrated in such expressions as "At last," 
"flying over," "well shod," "stole away," and many others. Phrase 
training often requires us to teach the word with its meaning by helping 
the child to grasp the situation that holds the meaning, e.g., "Open your 
gates," "feed the world," "one little day of fun." 

Phrase training leads to readiness in taking in the sentence and grasping 
it in its unity ; hence it is a first condition of good reading. At the same 
time it is an invaluable aid to oral language. 

Silent reading. Periods of silent reading should become a marked fea- 
ture of the work. As the child becomes more independent in helping 
himself, these periods of silent reading may be made valuable in giving 
him reading in review or supplementary reading from other books. Is 
the child becoming a reader is the one great question. These periods of 
silent reading should answer the question. 

64 



Dramatization. The dramatizing of stories and verses should continue. 
The child must be thoroughly familiar with the story before this can be 
done well. Avoid any attempt at scenic backgrounds or dramatic 
expression. The natural expression arising from the child's own insight 
and feeling is the only standard of excellence here. 

In the -preparatory lesson, the child should be given every needed clew 
to the intelligent interpretation of the book lesson without disclosing its 
content. This preparation should be joined as far as possible to the intro- 
duction of new words and phrases. Good expressive reading rests on 
thorough preparation. 

Phonics. The work in phonics should be continued until the child 
is familiar with a large number of important phonograms. Give new 
phonograms when there are several key-words occurring near each other. 
This will give the children immediate power in grasping these words for 
themselves. Observe, for example, the rapid recurrence of words ending 
in ing in the story of the Wee Pancake. 

Work in phonics should give the child a clear idea of the correct sounds 
of words, and this should lead of itself to clear enunciation and correct 
pronunciation. The important thing is to develop a feeling for correct 
speech. Good phonic training is good ear training. Correct perceptions 
of sounds should pass naturally into correct utterance. 

In all this training there should be especial care given to the initial and 
final consonant sounds, to the correct pronunciation of the phonogram, 
and the making of the blend. The child should be encouraged to group 
words beginning with the same consonant, as cap, caw, card, cast. Such 
grouping often helps the child to feel the different sounds of the same 
vowel as of "a" in the above. 

Long and short vowel sounds, many of the modified vowel sounds, all of 
the simple consonant sounds, and many of the combined sounds should be 
thoroughly taught in this grade. 

Encourage word rhyming with work in phonograms ; e.g., nest, best, rest, 
etc. In order to do this work well, the teacher should keep a record of 
phonograms taught in the first and second books. The teacher should 
also be familiar with alphabetical word lists of Book One. 



65 



c. PAGE LIST OF NEW WORDS AND IMPORTANT 

PHRASES 



New words are underscored. Phrases in review are in paren- 
thesis. The average number of new words is a little more 
than three to a page. 



4. 


lend a hand 




duck 


13. 


the best ever 




look forward 




so early 




seen 
dishes 


5. 


How many miles 

town 

Three-score 


8. 


gander 




clean 






Gandy Pandy 




flour 




ten 


9. 


Foxy Woxy 




just one hour 




candle-light 








brought 




10. 


den 




ale 




Open your gates 










let us go 


11. 


in the chimney 




a fine tale 




bend and bow 




(through the chim- 
ney) 


14. 


Cobbler 


6. 


Doverfield 




something 




mend 




dreamed 




smoke 




child 




world 




When 




stitch 




would come 




looked up 




here 




to an end 




flying over 




prod 




Cocky Locky 
Henny Penny 


12. 


flew quickly 
surely 


15. 


well shod 
Goody Two 


7. 


a long way 




(would have come) 




Shoes 



66 





kind people 


21. 


Nell knew 


26. 


mouse 




pair of shoes 




was sorry 




fast asleep 




new shoes 








in a net 




glad 


22. 


each 




gerr-err 




every one 




grace 
place 




(woke him up) 


16. 


school 






27. 


Grannie 




learn to read 


23. 


Rockaby 




tell us the story 




books 




tree top 




Grandmother 




these letters 




cradle 




need not 




all the words 




will rock 


28. 


at the side 


17. 


like this 




By-lo 




spun the flax 




knife 




Baby-Bunting 
gone a-hunting 




stay here 


18. 


put them 




rabbit-skin 


29. 


ran after 




in a basket 




wrap his baby 




spindle 




teach 








out of sight 




circle 


24. 


Mix a pancake 




At last 




spell 




Fry a pancake 




tailors 




another child 




Pop it in 




behind 


19. 


I am glad 


25. 


What does 


30. 


weaving 




not able 




(does say) 




wife 




speak plainly 




nest 

peep of day 




winding the 


20. 


(took them up) 
(put them down) 




rest 




yarn 




bark 




(a little longer) 


31. 


Tibby 




Nell 




wings 




churning 




lesson 




rise and fly 
limbs 




ran round 




(all learned) 


(what's that) 



67 



32. 


sifting flour 


39. 


fly (flies) 




lump of dough 




cheese 




buzz 




roll it out 




on the anvil 








longer and 




(look after it) 


40. 


(get away) 
(get out) 




wider 


33. 


horse-shoe 
hammer 




foolish 
of fun 


46. 


thought 
heat 




picking wool 


41. 


bridge 




swell 




half of it 




Messenger 




tiny lump 




both ran 




Dance over 
Lady Lee 




(go without) 


34. 


straw 








your bit 




Ho, Jack 




gay 


47. 


ever since 






42. 


(build it up) 




(left the house) 


35. 


warm itself 




silver 








Shut the door 




gold 
stolen away 


48. 


north 




their spoons 
raking the fire 






doth 
barn 




(taking off) 


43. 


steel 
clav 




hide his head 


36. 


anything 






49. 


pine tree 




cast down 


44. 


(wash away) 




wish 




lifted up 




Huzza 

last for ages 




chick-a-dee 


37. 


rolls 






50. 


needles 




send 


45. 


wood pecker 




glass 








Great Spirit 




hurt them 


38. 


bee 




cap 








bring home 




apron 


5L 


beautiful 




money 




cold and 




loud 




honey 




hungry 

68 




proud 



sharp 




wash the 


65. 


John 


strange 




clothes 




forgetting 


harsh 








swing 


I am lonely 


58. 


It was floating 
bright water 




leaving 
teased and 


52. carried away 




never seen 




pouted 


bare tree 


stretched out 


went to play 


called gently 




hands 




Fan 


green needles 




is bitter 






nice 




pass by 
come nearer 


66. 


stepping softly 


Winter came 






swept the floor 










dusted the 


leaves 






59 


very near 




room 


53. other trees 




so happy 
first 




cheerful 
guessed 


54. apple tree 




bundle of grass 




busy and happy 


sat quietly 










sang merrily 


60. 


What is the 
matter 


67. 


Nezumi 
family 


55. warm and 








listen and learn 


bright 


61. 


(have ever seen) 




fields 


shining 




split in two 






sky 






68. 


wed 


try 


62. 


Wait a bit 




marry 


a better child 


63. 


because 




bright cloud 


(who is she) 




brave 




our child 


56. gone to plow 




(did the same) 
(named him) 


69. 


drive me 
dark pine 


57. Peachling 


64. 


is easy 






river 




climb 


70. 


answered 



69 



71. 


in the meadow 


81. 


stingy farmer 


87. 


Aiken Drum 




bluebird 




Wee Brownie 




beard 




six 




busy fellow 




rushes 




caw 




into the mire 




{all the way) 


72. 


so even 


82. 


safely home 
hay loft 


88. 


swallow 
Duncan 
treat him well 




cricket 
We chirp 
spider 

went to hunt 
quail 

dead birds 
ugly birds 

(Did you know) 


73. 


83. 


good luck 
stole into 
linen shirt 
too much 
hemp 

rough shirt 
by the fireside 


89. 
90. 


(needs me) 
(work for pay) 

corner of the 


74. 


barn 

teach the colts 
reap a field 


75. 


Saturday night 


84. 


night 


91. 


(clap of a hand) 




week 

not spoken 

bad 




sad cry 

I have served 
long enough 


92 


tired workmen 
always at hand 
nick of time 


76. 


sweet broth 
fairy 

troubles • 




linen gear 
many a year 




sick 
kettle 




cup 


85. 


(For want of) 


93. 


believe it 




boTl 




battle 




do harm 




rest 




Kingdom 




worn-out 


80. 


Willy boy 

(if I may) 
mowing 


86. 


(puts on) 

gosling gray 
barley 


94. 


clothes 

(the stream side) 

casts the band 



70 



to blame 
uncanny hand 

95. Maid Mary 
minds her 

dairy 
a-hoeing 
runs the reel 



102. Twitchett 



100. 



101. 



Come quickly 
good wife 

(hold fast) 
(fine and safe) 

a short way 
there was lack 

(how can I) 



104. 



96. Fern Den 
fern glen 
in a hurry 
ties it up 
bags 

97. (on the door step) 
(better than ever) 

106. 

98. (through the dark) 

might see 
something was iQ7, 

wrong 
coat 

99. (flew like the wind) 



(let fly) 

over a gap 
in a trap 



103. smooth and 



strong 
sure and slow 

Magpie 
mud 

(first of all) 



105. thrush 



some twigs 

(all about it) 

(in the same way) 

layer of mud 
wise owl 



sparrow 
feather 
lined the nest 
That suits me 



starling 



108. Robert Burns 



mine 



good sir 

(any other man) 



109. Dumpy 
country road 
God-mother 
leading him 

110. your friend 
drink 



115. 



his comfort 



beasts 
doth care 
his feast 
will share 



blessing 
good master 

111. Stay, little 
boy 

(Catch me) 

113. hush 

remember 



along a road 
my foot 
hurts me 



114. thirsty cow 
a well 



bucket 

(Bless you) 

Good-bye 

(rest a moment) 



71 



116. (That is good) 
(another friend) 

117. once more 

118. spade 
dig 

rather far 
close to 



124. twisted 



bobs 



119. Peerifool 



daughters 



120. (if I can) 

thief 



Princess 



121. giant 



comb the wool 



card the wool 



122. cloth 



kettle of por- 
ridge 
crowd 
Peerie folk 



rainbow 



123. cross 



burned black 
so angry 
beat 
younger 



126. laughed 
over their 
faces 



127. 
128. 
129. 

130. 



bluebells 
primroses 
saucers 
drop of milk 



(find out) 

(Just then) 
(All at once) 

(working away) 
(went about) 



132. Tom 



threw down 



great rage 



133. noble man 



a gold ring 
drummer 



shook her head 134. baby-land 



135. 



brew 



sew 



(upon her nest) 

hatch 



eggshell 
quack 

(looked around) 

pay a visit 



136. turkey 
Please 



141. 



vourself 



137. swam 



(with no one) 

138. barn yard 
Keep close 

(doing harm to 

no one) 
(as well as) 

139. pushed 
scolded 

(out of my sight) 

bushes 



140. moor 



(What sort of) 

belong to 

(my family) 

purr 
sparks 



72 



141. 



142. 



143. 



(over his head) 
(beat the air) 
(lifted his head) 
(did not hear) 
(after that) 



(far away) 
toward him 



swans 
outspread 
wings 

(round him) 



144. 



145. 



stroked him 

(of all) 


146. 


(want to get) 
pitch wood 


(Just then) 

(flock of sheep) 
(Not far away) 
(left their work) 




(worked hard) 

good deed 
Some — others 


It is a lie 


147. 


(worth trying for) 


gift 

A long time 


148. 


(That may be) 
neighbor 


ago 
pitfalls 


149. 


(many a time) 

doubly mine 



Suggestive List of Phonograms and Consonant Sounds 

The number of phonograms and consonant sounds taught in 
this year should depend on the needs of the class. Where there 
are many children in the class who are defective in English 
utterance more time should be given to the work. 



Phonograms 


Keywords 


Consonants 


Keywords 


ate, 5 


gate 


d,4 


down 


ore, 5 


score 


g» 5 


go 


et, 6 


met 


sh, 6 


she 


ale, 13 


tale 


wh, 6 


where 


old, 13 


told 


ch, 14 


child 


end, 16 


lend 


th, 17 


this 


ike, 17 


like 






eep, 25 


peep 






est, 25 


rest 






ad, 84 


sad 







73 



3. Book Three 
a. Foreword 

The Third Book of this basal series aims to lead the child farther 
in his grasp on the life of the society in which he lives. It does 
this by giving him pictures of human life varied in action and 
condition, each of which holds some significant social situation. 
Neighbors stands for other peoples. These various peoples have 
been chosen because their study affords valuable social material. 

(1) The book gives the child simple types of society that will 
enable him to get clearer insights into the social service which is 
at the basis of his own more complex life. 

(2) It represents, in their own country, some of the peoples 
with whom the American child comes in daily contact in town 
and city. In this way he is helped to a more intelligent and 
unprejudiced social attitude. 

(3) It affords a background for literature. These brief pictures 
of life from other lands have been used as a means of introducing 
stories belonging broadly to each land or people. The back- 
ground of life behind the story is not only suggestive of literary 
sources but it adds atmosphere and meaning to the literature 
itself. 

(4) The book supplies a broad basis for supplementary reading. 
In the third grade, children are ready for a much wider range of 
reading. The direction of the child's general reading now becomes 
an important aspect of his education. 

b. Suggestions to Teachers 

Neighbors affords an opportunity for the child to make excursions into 
the world with his teacher with the aim of helping him to deeper insight 
into his own social life. An effort has been made to emphasize some social 
virtue of each people, e.g., the neighbor spirit of the Eskimo, the craftsman- 
ship of the Indian, the courage of the Swiss, the industry and economy of 
the Chinese, etc. 

74 



There has been no attempt to teach other lands but rather to make the 
literature and lives of other peoples a means of developing in the child a 
more catholic social sympathy while it affords him at the same time inter- 
esting material for reading. 

Mastery of the vocabulary. When the child reaches the third year in 
school he should have mastered a fairly good working vocabulary of basal 
words. Mastery here means : 

(1) The power of readily recognizing familiar words and phrases. 

(2) Correct pronunciation and clear enunciation. 

(3) The ability to quickly grasp the sentence in its unity. 

Word recognition and word pronunciation should be as nearly as 
possible unconscious and automatic. To train to' a reflex mastery of the 
printed vocabulary is one of the two great ends of reading work. The 
other is to develop power in using this printed language as a means of 
thinking and imaging. This last is reading. 

The challenge for thorough mastery should be persistently made in this 
and in succeeding grades. 

Phonics and phrase training. Continue work in phonics, being careful 
to make it ear and speech training as well as the key to the mastery of the 
written vocabulary. All this work should be adapted to the needs of the 
class. Where children are defective in the pronunciation of English, the 
particular defect must be recognized and work given that will overcome it. 

Continue work in phrase training until children grasp phrase-wholes in 
their unity with unconsciousness and ease. All this work should show in 
the improvement of the child's oral language. 

Intensive and extensive reading. It is important that the child develop 
a power of concentration that will enable him to read rapidly — at first 
silently, and then orally, with a clear grasp on the content. The test 
which requires a child to read rapidly and well, simply demands of him 
greater concentration of attention. For this reason it is one of the most 
effective ways of developing the child's reading power. From careful 
studies made in the rate of reading it has been demonstrated that "the 
rapid readers remember more of the original thoughts, and that the character 
of their reproduction is much higher, both generally and with reference to 
expression and logical content." 

Power of rapid or extensive reading should go hand in hand in its 
development with power of reading intensively where time is given for 
reflection. There are many selections in Book Three that require thought 
in order to grasp the meaning, e.g., The Death of Balder, The Making of 
Balmung, A Child's Thought of God, etc. Time given in the reading hour 
to the thoughtful discussion of points requiring judgment and insight 

75 



increases the child's power to read rapidly with a clear grasp of meaning, 
and increases his interest. 

In general the supplementary reader should afford material for tests 
in rapid reading. The basal reader prepares the class for this more rapid 
grasp of material which the supplementary book supplies. A class that 
has read In An Eskimo Land and A Little Indian Maid, should be able 
to read rapidly and with excellent concentration, Fishing and Hunting. 
The class should be referred to definite pages in supplementary books at 
the moment when they will most efficiently supplement or complete the 
work of the basal reader. 

Dramatization. Neighbors affords an excellent opportunity for the 
child to begin to represent other peoples. To play Eskimo or Indian, to 
become German, Dutch, or Chinese for the time, delights the children and 
helps them to keep open eyes for matters of habits, action, dress, and back- 
ground. 

In many schools, children are allowed to construct certain type 
objects in the background, e.g., the igloo or the kayak and sledge of the 
Eskimo. We should remember that the child who is dressing a Chinese 
doll or making a Swiss chalet of pasteboard or wood is cultivating his men- 
tal imagery as well as training his hand. 

In this grade the child naturally adds dress and other accessories to his 
work in dramatizing. This tendency should be carefully regulated and 
directed. Work for scenic effects should be entered into in such a way as 
to afford training in perception and imagination and call out the child's 
resourcefulness. In all this work avoid the melodramatic and overdone. 

Supplementary reading. In the third year the child is studying History 
and Geography. His ability to read is so far developed that a variety of 
attractive books are open to him. At this time he needs something that 
will effectively unify this diverse material and help him to mental organi- 
zation. Neighbors affords a departure for this varied supplementary read- 
ing which it unifies and makes intelligible. 

The school-room library should afford suitable supplementary books. 
If possible there should be a sufficient number of duplicate copies to enable 
the whole class to use them freely. The child needs wise direction in 
making these early excursions into the book-world as his literary taste is 
being formed. In the simple work of organizing a well-chosen class-room 
library and directing the children's reading, the teacher is initiating their 
future reading habits — one of the most important aspects of education 
at this time. 



76 



c. LIST BY PAGE OF NEW WORDS 



Page 7 
beneath 
floor 
above 
bending 
covers 
kin 

Page 8 
Eskimo 

(es'ki mo) 
Sipsu (sip'soo) 
Gunlah 

(goon'lah) 
South 
East 
West 

igloo (ig'loo) 
bone 
boots 
sealskin 
trousers 
hood 

Page 9 
rubbed 
walrus 
tusk 
blubber 
lamp 

Page 10 
watch 



seal 

twilight 

sledge 

pulling 

Pau (pow) 

team 

meat 

fur 

Page 12 
walked 
followed 
none 

Page 13 
leave 

stars 

Page 14 
Arc'tic 
group 

Orion (o-ri'on) 
belt 

Page 15 
harness 
arrow 
bench 
breathing 
nothing 

Page 16 
pieces 
promised 



Page 17 
aloud 
empty 

Page 18 
clamp 
faint 
happened 

Page 19 
saved 
fought 
paws 
shoulders 
wagged 
faithful 
paddle 
lance 

Page 20 
kayak (ka'ak) 
lest 

iceberg 
overturned 
shout 
spots 
divided 

Page 21 

skiff 

glide 

billows 

attack 

weight 



speedily 

trim 

skim 



Page 22 
Okudah 

(o koo'dah) 
eider 


Page 23 
track 
tips 


Page 24 
plucked 
breast 
twice 
strap 
edge 


Page 25 
loose 
reindeer 


Page 26 
mistress 


Page 27 
Indian 
Wewha 

(wa'wha) 
ladder 



77 



Page 28 

pueblo 

(pweblo) 
squirrel 
plain 
jar 
plaster 

Page 29 

thunder 

mountain 

eagles 

screaming 

sheets 

Page 30 

pour 
swiftly 

Page 31 

blankets 

dye 

frame 

pattern 

lightning 

rolling 

rim 

Page 32 

obey 
animal 
chief 
important 

Page 34 

frighten 
queer 



Page 35 

clay 

color 

pray 

Page 36 

knead 

shallow 

bottom 

strips 

joined 



Page 37 



gourd 
smiled 



Page 38 

finished 

dry 

painted 

brush 

traced 

picture 

polishing 

anxious 

oven 

Page 39 

changed 
coyote (kfo te or 



Page 41 
curl 
frog 
coals 

Page 42 
swallowed 

Page 43 

heavens 
earnestly 

Page ^A 
store 
parched 
crosses 
ditches 
rustle 

Page 45 

planning 

ripe 

Zuni (zoo'nye; 

husk 



Page 46 



kfot) 

Page 40 
unhappy 
guarded 
dawn 
seized 



path 
lake 

Page 47 

Russian 
skein 
knitting 
low 

Page 48 

patience 

ball 

slipped 



Page 49 

earn 
still 
shepherd 

Page 50 

valley 

narrow 

plank 

Page 51 

stockings 

shavings 

heavily 

sheds 

handle 

Page 52 

skirt 

stove-door 
fuel 
blaze 

Page 53 

boar 

honestly 

snout 

Page 54 

scattered 

stalks 

grain 

chaff 

separate 

Page 55 

rage 

pear-tree 

invited 



78 



Page 56 


cargo 


Page 67 


Page 73 


plenty 
mice 


trunks 

Holland 

fish 

birthday 

buttons 

folded 


mittens 
cattle 


yet 
test 


scrape 


against 


formed 


fearful 
monster 


carving 


aimed 
brands 


wears 


chest 


Page 68 




creeping 
claws 




rug 


Page 74 






hymn 


wicked 




Page 62 




Loki 


Page 58 






power 


sailor 


rye 
dinner 


Page 69 


mistletoe 


ashore 


plate 


harvest 




coral 


shovel 


sparrows 


Page 76 


sea 
feeble 
insects 
stormy 


Page 63 
stack 


Page 70 

drifts 
roared 


felt 

pierced 
horror 
grief 




sprite 


whistled 


autumn 


Page 59 


creatures 


wild 


appears 


Norway 


squire 






Ole Vasa 




Page 71 


Page 77 


(o'le va'sa) 
steamer 


Page 64 


death 
Balder 


returns 
die 




harp 


Odin (o'din) 


seven 


Page 60 


lazy 


Asgarth 


dew-pearled 


steep 

fiord (fyord) 

rail 

hundred 


staff 
buds 
wonder 


Frigg 

gloomy 

ruled 


lark 
snail 
thorn 


bloom 


Hod 




Page 61 


Page 66 


blind 
departed 


Page 78 

secret 
embrace 


Christian 


silent 


Page 72 


slides 


Hilda 


win 


evil 


thrills 


cookies 


forth 


content 


sight 


bought 


echoed 


swear 


sound 


ships 






tender 



79 



shut 


Page 86 


Page 93 


lids 
kisses 


Snow Hopper 
bleat 


struggle 
retire 


pressure 


Page 87 


company 
escaped 


Page 79 


course 


comrades 


Heidi (hi'di) 

Swiss 


drawing 
seeking 


monument 
Rome 


hut 


herbage 


sculptor 


Aim 


salt 


TXor'-wald-sen 


Page 80 


Page 88 


Page 94 


goatherd 


instant 


remind 


pasture 


nibbled 


foreign 
modeled 


Page 81 


Page 89 


wounded 

cVi i pi r] 


pointed 


ought 


courage 


splashed 


dropped 


Dane 


mass 




railroad 




Page 90 


bronze 


Page 82 




solid 




evening 


niche 


sternly 


suddenly 




rose 


glow 




croaking 


sparkle 


Page 95 


Page 83 




hero 


robber 


Page 91 




disappear 


homeward 


Page 96 


pushing 


rays 


liberty 


horns 




William Tell 


Page 84 


Page 92 


governor 
Gessler (ges'ler) 


filled 


soldiers 


market 




trust 


orders 


Page 85 


reason 
palace 


enemy 
erect 


knee 


France 


marksman 


Thistle Finch 


French 


decided 



Page 97 

lord 

prove 

skill 

God's 

unless 

selected 

stuck 

collar 

firm 

Page 98 

shaft 
twanging 

Page 99 

flings 

clasps 

faith 

savagely 

prison 

chains 

Page 100 
helm 

Page 101 

German 

kitchen 

Hans 

Gretchen 

Elsa 

pile 

Page 102 

Holle (hol'le) 

island 

floats 

housekeeper 

soap 



80 



Page 103 


Page 113 


Page 122 


Max 


soiled 


either 


ticked 


rattling 


sewing 


boat 


Page 125 


cart 
heaped 


Page 104 
kitten 


Page 114 
creaked 


fifteen 
weather 


Page 133 


forest 


arithmetic 


closed 


Rosel (ro seT) 


piteously 


fractions 




burden 
perched 


Page 105 


Page 115 


Page 126 
dressed 


humble 
throne 


however 


muff 




Eberstein 


Page 106 




Page 127 


(a/ber stem) 


dame 


Page 116 


whirled 


Page 134 


disappeared 


pigeons 


son 


fair 




Finmark 




rooks 


Page 107 




Page 129 


curious 


stocking 


Page 118 


carpet 


neighed 

lowed 

pillow 


Page 109 


flicker 
certainly 


prepare 


flakes 
Kay 


human 
pure 


Page 130 
curtains 


Page 135 


mirror 




entered 


Ludwig 


worst 


Page 119 




(lood'wig) 
puzzled 




berries 


Page 131 


Fritz 


Page 111 


froze 


rejoicings 




Gerda 
worm 


angels 
helmets 


tools 


Page 136 


boxes 


army 




dykes 


kicked 




Page 132 


ocean 

bells 

pumped 


naughty 

clever 

sleigh 


Page 120 


castle 


touched 


airy 
height 


canals 






leagues 






Page 121 


peasant 


Page 137 


Page 112 


burst 


toiling 


mouth 


multiplication 


tears 


spaces 


sluice 



81 



Page 138 


Page 146 


Page 150 


Page 157 


clattering 


carrier 


white 


beyond 


noisily 


hope 




shade 


tiptoe 


months 


Page 151 


paper 


Page 139 


Alkmaar 
(alk'mar) 


trust-worthy 


pencil 


leak 


twelve 


Page 152 


Page 158 


Haarlem 




Cimabue 


(haiir'lem) 


Page 147 


whit 

dulled 

fail 

perhaps 

bulbs 


(chemaboo'a) 


tended 


although 


artist 


dangerous 


starve 






Balmung 


Page 159 


Page 140 


level 


tower 


peat 


Siegfried 
(sieg'fried) 


Page 153 


spirit 
adorn 


Page 141 


Rhine 


bugs 
crumbs 


glorious 


question 


Page 148 


quarreling 


Page 160 


Page 142 


neither 
fame 


Page 154 


lovely 
distant 


numb 
twitter 


shun 
Mimer 


shred 
withal 


plowing 
oxen 


groans 


costly 


pity 




Page 143 
rapping 


leather 


killed 


Page 161 


coarse 
cunning 


though 
seems 


Rosy-Hood 


moaning 
writhing 


metal 

bolts 


agree 


Page 162 


Page 145 
chance 
city 


ornaments 

Page 149 
Amilias 


Page 155 
Pietro 
(pe a'tro) 


bobbing 
ashes 
flashes 
flies 


fighting 
thousand 


(amil'li-as) 
suit 


Page 156 


Page 163 


defences 


armor 


Maria 


grapes 


hoops 


dint 


(mar e'a) 


vineyard 


tar 


scratch 


Andria 




Leyden 


pupils 


(an'dri a) 


Page 164 


powder 


boast 


churches 


stumbled 


cannon 


rang 


Giotto (jot 'to) 


. stained 



82 



search 


Thenah 


Page 171 


Page 176 


sign 


Chinese 


chic, chic 


forcing 


gleam 






captain 


Page 165 


Page 168 
hinder 


Page 172 


Page 177 


lambkins 


bamboo 
rake 


dreadful 
camphor 


scholar 


keen 

n p«?t,l P> 


shelled 


Fah-Nim 


Page 179 


ewe 


cotton 




lemon 


full 


Page 174 






mistake 


Dolnh 


Page 180 


Page 166 




Yen 


different 


turn 


Page 169 


court 


fruit 


about 


kites 


fluttering 






dragon 


embroidered 


Page 181 


Page 167 
China 


Page 170 


Page 175 


daisy 
fringe 
furled 


Hoka 


twenty-five 


pedlar 


margin 


donkey 


understand 


silk 


naked 


mother-in-law 


Ah-Ma 


exciting 


spices 


crane 


(mother) 


fasten 


isles 



83 



SUGGESTIVE LIST OF PHONOGRAMS AND 
CONSONANT SOUNDS 



Phonograms 


Page Key word 


Consonant 


Page Key word 


est 


8 west 


th 


8 north 


earn 


10 team 


sk 


9 tusk 


eat 


17 meat 


in 


22 Xnew 


ack 


23 track 


cl 


35 clay 


ice 


24 twice 


br 


38 brush 


ay 


35 pray 


ng 


48 long 


ead 


36 knead 


z 


52 blaze 


all 


48 ball 


ch 


60 Christian 


out 


53 snout 


si 


61 sleep 


oar 


53 boar 


pi 


78 place 


age 


55 rage 


cl 


81 clean 


aw 


56 claw 


sp 


81 splash 


ark 


77 lark 


g 


101 German 


orn 


77 thorn 


bl 


86 bleat 


oil 


103 soil 






ear 


121 tear 






ight 


78 sight 


.. 




air 


134 fair 







84 



